Alpha (2025)
Story overview
Alpha is a 2025 French-Belgian horror-drama film directed by Julia Ducournau. It follows a troubled 13-year-old girl living with her single mother. Their lives are upended when the daughter returns home from school with a mysterious tattoo on her arm, triggering a series of unsettling events that blend psychological horror with science fiction elements.
Parent Guide
A psychologically intense horror-drama with strong disturbing content. Director Julia Ducournau is known for body horror and transgressive themes (as seen in 'Titane' and 'Raw'). Expect graphic, unsettling imagery and mature psychological themes.
Content breakdown
Contains graphic body horror, self-harm implications related to the tattoo, intense peril scenes, and psychological violence. Not suitable for younger viewers.
Extremely disturbing imagery and psychological horror. The tattoo serves as a source of body horror and transformation. Themes of loss of control, family disintegration, and psychological trauma are presented in intense ways.
Likely contains strong language in French (subtitled) given the director's style and intense subject matter. Expect emotional outbursts and crisis dialogue.
May contain partial nudity in body horror contexts (related to the tattoo/transformation). Sexual content is possible given the director's previous work, but likely secondary to horror elements.
Possible depiction of adult substance use (alcohol, smoking) in stressful situations, but not a central theme.
High emotional intensity throughout. Explores themes of adolescent crisis, single-parent family stress, bodily autonomy, and psychological disintegration. The 128-minute runtime allows for sustained tension and emotional buildup.
Parent tips
This film contains intense psychological horror, disturbing imagery, and mature themes including family trauma and bodily transformation. Not suitable for children under 16. Contains graphic scenes that may be particularly disturbing for sensitive viewers.
Parent chat guide
Parent follow-up questions
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- What did you think the tattoo represented in the story?
- How did the relationship between the mother and daughter change throughout the film?
- What aspects of the film did you find most disturbing or thought-provoking?
- How does this film compare to other horror movies you've seen in terms of its approach to fear?
Where to watch
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Trailer
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