Boos, backlash and body horror: The story of Alpha

Published: 12 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

For a time, Julia Ducournau was hailed as the rising French queen of body horror. Her debut feature, Raw, explored the visceral territory of cannibalism as an allegory for sexual awakening, while her follow-up, Titane, delved into the dark spaces of serial killing, family estrangement, and bizarre eroticism, including a scene in which a woman engages sexually with a car. Ducournau’s films have always blurred the lines between horror, physicality, and human psychology, earning her a reputation for fearless, unflinching storytelling.

So when Ducournau returned to the Cannes Film Festival lineup this year with Alpha, four years after winning the Palme d’Or for Titane, critics and audiences alike braced themselves for yet another gory, sensationalist genre piece. Yet Alpha defied expectation. Instead of relying solely on shock value, Ducournau presented an emotional and deeply moving meditation on love, care, and the human experience in the face of illness and mortality. The film, though containing elements of her signature body horror, is as much about tenderness and familial bonds as it is about gore.

Tahar Rahim, one of the stars of Alpha, sensed a distinct emotional shift in Ducournau’s work while reading the script. “I felt this emotional aspect that was new to her cinema,” he said, highlighting the way the film focuses on the nuanced interplay of love and loss within a family grappling with disease. Alpha’s story is less about plot mechanics and more about immersing viewers in rhythms of fear, devotion, and grief. The narrative is anchored in the lives of a French-Berber family, spanning two timelines and exploring the fractured bond between a mother, played by Golshifteh Farahani, and her adolescent daughter Alpha, portrayed by Mélissa Boros. This delicate relationship is further complicated by the return of Uncle Amin, Rahim’s character, a man battling addiction and a virus that is progressively fatal.

The virus is never explicitly named, though visual cues and the era depicted in the Eighties and Nineties evoke AIDS. The allegorical nature of the illness allows the audience to interpret it broadly, whether as AIDS, cancer, or another devastating disease. Ducournau’s approach, however, is not clinical or didactic; it is emotional and experiential. The film captures the perspective of those caring for the sick, portraying the endurance of love despite the horrifying physical changes caused by illness. For Rahim, this approach resonates personally. “Alpha brought me back to caring for my mother as she was dying of brain cancer,” he shared. “Even though her body was deteriorating in frightening ways, our love remained stronger than fear or despair.”

A defining feature of Alpha is the way it visualizes illness through a unique aesthetic lens. Ducournau chose to depict the progression of the virus in patients by slowly turning their skin to marble. When death comes, the eyes marble over and a puff of chalky dust marks their final breath. Rahim explained that this transformation is a symbolic gesture, honoring the dignity of those who have suffered. “She was telling all these people we’ve lost, or who are connected to somebody who died from AIDS or other diseases, ‘We don’t forget that we saw them,’” Rahim said. “By turning them into marble, a material used to sculpt kings and religious figures, she is saying, ‘In my movie, they will stay with us for eternity.’”

The film’s emotional impact extends beyond its visual choices. Ducournau fostered a deeply personal and cathartic environment on set. Prior to filming in Normandy in September 2024, she spoke openly to her cast and crew about shared trauma and the opportunity for the production to serve as a healing experience. “I told them, ‘At our age, we’ve all been through traumas, it’s useless denying that. I hope that this shoot will help you—through the characters, through the scenes that we’re making together—to cathartically process this hurt,’” Rahim recounted. This approach imbued the performances with authenticity, intensity, and vulnerability rarely captured on screen.

Despite its emotional depth, Alpha has not escaped controversy. Some festival-goers and critics initially reacted with shock and disapproval, particularly regarding the graphic body horror elements. Ducournau’s work, after all, has long been associated with visceral depictions of bodily transformation and the grotesque. The combination of body horror with a poignant meditation on mortality proved jarring to some, yet the film’s advocates argue that this juxtaposition heightens its emotional resonance. It challenges viewers to confront their own discomfort with the fragility of the human body while reminding them of the endurance of love, family, and compassion.

Critics have praised Ducournau’s boldness in centering caregiving as a cinematic theme, a topic often neglected or trivialized in mainstream film. By portraying illness through the eyes of those who continue to see dignity and majesty in the afflicted, Alpha offers a radically humanistic perspective. Rahim observed that this perspective allows audiences to witness not just physical decay but also the emotional, spiritual, and relational dimensions of disease. The film’s body horror becomes a vessel for empathy rather than mere spectacle.

The production’s meticulous attention to detail extends to its period settings, character development, and cinematography. Every frame, from the landscapes of Normandy to the intimate interior scenes of family life, is crafted to reinforce the film’s central themes of vulnerability, care, and the passage of time. Ducournau’s direction balances restraint with visual intensity, ensuring that the moments of horror amplify the emotional impact rather than overshadow it.

Alpha is also a reflection of Ducournau’s continued evolution as a filmmaker. While Raw and Titane established her mastery of body horror and transgressive storytelling, Alpha demonstrates her capacity to expand these motifs into narratives of emotional and ethical complexity. The film bridges the gap between genre cinema and high art, reaffirming Ducournau’s position as one of the most innovative contemporary directors in European cinema.

Audience reactions have been polarizing, with some expressing discomfort at the graphic imagery and others praising the film for its emotional bravery. The discourse surrounding Alpha underscores a broader cultural conversation about how cinema represents illness, caregiving, and mortality. By marrying body horror with profound humanistic storytelling, Ducournau has sparked debate on the capacity of genre film to explore deeply personal and universal experiences.

In conclusion, Alpha is not merely a continuation of Julia Ducournau’s fascination with body horror; it is an audacious exploration of love, loss, and human dignity. Through inventive visuals, powerful performances, and a deeply personal production ethos, the film captures the fragility and resilience of life. It challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable realities while celebrating the enduring bonds that define our shared humanity. For those willing to surrender to its rhythms and emotions, Alpha offers a haunting, unforgettable cinematic experience.