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Alpha Review - I’m Defending Gruelling French Body Horror that Inspired Walkouts
- Julia Ducournau's film Alpha premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, featuring Tahar Rahim as Amin, a heroin-addicted uncle returning to his niece's home in 1990s France.
- The story unfolds amid a deadly blood-borne virus that ostracizes those infected, paralleling the AIDS crisis and fueling social paranoia and school bullying experienced by Alpha, the teenage heroine.
- Alpha depicts a strained family dynamic between Alpha, her doctor mother played by Golshifteh Farahani, and Amin's presence, using restrained grotesque body horror to explore themes of infection, addiction, and societal fear.
- The film earned an 11–12 minute standing ovation at Cannes despite a divisive reception that included walkouts and critical backlash, with Rahim gaining praise for a transformative performance after losing 20 kilos for the role.
- Alpha’s mixed critical response suggests Ducournau’s cinematic approach remains provocative yet uneven, raising expectations for her future work in blending poignant allegory with unsettling imagery.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Alpha review - I’m defending gruelling French body horror that inspired walkouts
Alpha has really split critics, with many panning the much-anticipated film at Cannes – but I disagree (Picture: Canal+ Productions) There’s been a surprising amount of backlash to one of the front-runners at Cannes this year for the festival’s top prize – but I liked Alpha. The divisive movie, which inspired some walkouts this year, is the latest from French filmmaker Julia Ducournau, known for her boundary-pushing work in the body horror spac…
Julia Ducournau’s ‘Alpha’ Feels Destined to Become a Cult Classic
Like ‘The Substance’ before it, Julia Ducournau’s ‘Alpha’, the follow-up to her Palme d’Or winner ‘Titane’ which just premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, is a blood-soaked, divisive, no-holds-barred thrill. Read the Vogue review of ‘Alpha’, here.
Tahar Rahim on Metamorphosing and Shedding 44 Pounds for Julia Ducournau’s ‘Alpha’: ‘That State of Deprivation Transports You in a Spiritual Dimension’
In his first interview about Julia Ducournau's 'Alpha,' Tahar Rahim discusses how he metamorphosed and learned about addiction for the role.
AwardsWatch - ‘Alpha’ Review: Julia Ducournau’s AIDS Allegory Crumbles Under the Weight of its Repetitive Self-Importance [D-] Cannes
Four years ago, a tidal wave hit cinema with Julia Ducournau’s second feature film, Titane. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Ducournau announced herself as a cinematic voice to be reckoned with as she delivered a film that felt like an adrenaline shot to the head of originality, blending body…
Alpha review – I’m sticking up for gruelling French body horror that inspired walkouts-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro
This Post Was Originally Pubslished Here: Alpha review – I’m sticking up for gruelling French body horror that inspired walkouts-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro appeared first on Future Tech Trends. Alpha has really split critics, with many panning the much-anticipated film at Cannes – but I disagree (Picture: Canal+ Productions) There’s been a surprising amount of backlash to one of the front-runners at Cannes this year for the festiv…
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