Alpha(2026)

R
2h 8m
- Drama
- Horror

Release Date: Mar 13, 2026 | Limited

Alpha, a 13-year-old, lives with her single mother in coastal France when she comes home from a party with a fresh tattoo. Around the same time, a mysterious bloodborne disease is spreading through the population, slowly turning bodies to stone. As whispers about her infection spread through school, Alpha faces bullying, social isolation, and a family struggling to hold together. A film about adolescence, stigma, and the body as battleground.

Releases

Original Release | Mar 13, 2026

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Director & Top Cast

Arkasha Stevenson
Director

Tahar Rahim
Amin

Golshifteh Farahani
Maman

Mélissa Boros
Alpha

Emma Mackey
Infirmière

Finnegan Oldfield
Professeur d'anglais

Louai El Amrousy

Adrien

Ambrine Trigo Ouaked

Alpha (5 ans)

Zohra Benbetka

La grand-mère

Fadila Belkebla

Tante Alpha 1

Sofia Naït

Tante Alpha 2

Bahia Badji

Tante Alpha 3

Marc Riso

Benny

Jean-Charles Clichet

Professeur de sport

François Rollin

Principal du collège

Driver

Agent de sécurité

Frédéric Bayer Azem

Compagnon prof d'anglais

Ninon Le Henry

Fille classe

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Other Details

Country of Origin: France,Belgium

Language: French,English,Berber languages

Summaries

Plot Summary

Alpha is a 2025 body horror drama written and directed by Julia Ducournau. The film stars newcomer Mélissa Boros as Alpha, alongside Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, Emma Mackey, Finnegan Oldfield, and Louai El Amrousy. Set in a French coastal town, the story unfolds across two timelines, following both Alpha's present-day experience and her mother's work in a hospital treating infected patients. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or. Neon acquired North American distribution rights at the 2024 Cannes Marché du Film. The US theatrical release is set for March 27, 2026. Ducournau has cited the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s as a key influence on the film's themes of illness, stigma, and social panic. Suited for arthouse audiences and fans of Ducournau's previous work.

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Fun Facts

Alpha (2025) is a coming-of-age drama set in the 1980s, centering on troubled 13-year-old Alpha living with her single mother whose world unravels when Alpha returns from school with a tattoo on her arm, sparking fears of HIV/AIDS amid the era's stigma and panic.