Alpha

Alpha (2025) Ghost from the Past (12,477 – 29 May 2026 – Claudio Carvalho) In France, the 13-year-old Alpha (Mélissa Boros) drinks too much in a party and someone tattoos the letter A on her shoulder. Her mother (Golshifteh Farahani), who is a medical doctor, becomes scared and takes Alpha to the hospital for blood exams. At the same time, her brother Amin (Tahar Rahim), who is an infected drug addict visits them and stays in Alpha’s room. “Alpha” 2025 is a complex drama by Julia Ducournau and the viewer that is not her follower will need to read to understand the layers of this film. The plot point is when the viewer sees that Uncle Amin is dead. There are several metaphors like the infection with AIDS and the rejection by people; the return of Amin means the recollection from the past with the possibility of Alpha’s infection; the letter “A” refer to the Scarlet Letter; the red wind turning Amin into sand is when Alpha and her mother finally let him go and also to the devil mentioned by grandmother. The acting is top-notch. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): “Alpha” My Blog: ****/

Ducournau’s “Raw” & “Titane” were a kick, a thrill, and created the kind of movie buzz that lasts for days and made you want to tell everyone about them. Her 3rd film is a funeral dirge as it toggles between drab social realist melodrama & dreamtime surrealism. It’s super grim. Glad I was able to see it in a cinema (I was the only customer), it’s a singular feature, but I couldn’t recommend it to anyone. (UPDATE: the film unlocked some vivid, troubling dreams, which hasn’t happened in a very long time, so there’s that.).