From body horror to deeply human drama, Alpha marks a bold new chapter from director Julia Ducournau, acclaimed for Raw and the Palme d’Or–winning Titane.
In Alpha, a 13-year-old returns from school with a tattoo on her arm, causing panic for her single mother amidst the outbreak of a bloodborne disease.
Starring in the film are Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, Mélissa Boros, Emma Mackey, Finnegan Oldfield, and Louai El Amrousy.
Alpha world premiered in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, then went on to screen at Sitges Film Festival, Stockholm International Film Festival and Norwegian International Film Festival. Neon will release the film in U.S. theaters on March 27, 2026.
Alpha follows a rebellious 13-year-old girl named Alpha, whose life is thrown in an uproar when she returns from school with a mysterious tattoo. Set amid the backdrop of a strange new bloodborne disease sweeping her community, the film navigates fear, stigma, and survival. Alpha’s family, including her mother, a doctor played by Golshifteh Farahani, confront the possibility of infection.
Alpha has ignited mixed reactions from critics. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian offered a one-star review, describing the film as ‘madly, bafflingly overwrought, writing “Strident, oppressive, incoherent and weirdly pointless from first to last … Julia Ducournau’s new film Alpha has to be the most bewildering disappointment of this year’s Cannes competition; even an honest lead performance from Mélissa Boros can’t retrieve it.”
Watch the official trailer for Alpha above. (see first look teaser trailer)
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