Film Review – Alpha

Writer/director Julia Ducournau has built a career on provocative pictures, and while she doesn’t work often, she’s managed to capture attention with her first two features. 2016’s “Raw” stirred up film festival hype with its gruesome imagery, and 2021’s “Titane” turned Ducournau into a force of nature, delivering a wild examination of murder and sex that also burned brightly in pre-release circles. “Alpha” is her latest endeavor, and one can sense Ducournau struggling to produce something to compete with her previous work, looking to meet expectations with a surreal story of relationships and viral fears, returning to her love of body horror. “Raw” and “Titane” were bizarre offerings, but they remained interesting due to Ducournau’s strange ways and general storytelling fearlessness. “Alpha” doesn’t offer such a thrill, remaining limited in its emotional reach and characterization, making for a cold, sluggish viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com