Alpha review – Julia Ducournau’s disjointed body horror is an absolute gamma

TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:

"Julia Ducournau's Alpha Receives Mixed Reviews at Cannes for Disjointed Narrative"

Alpha review – Julia Ducournau’s disjointed body horror is an absolute gamma analysis cover image The Guardian 5.3
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Original Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/19/alpha-review-julia-ducournaus-disjointed-body-horror-is-an-absolute-gamma
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AI Analysis Average Score: 5.3
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TruthLens AI Summary

Julia Ducournau's latest film, Alpha, has been met with disappointment at the Cannes competition, failing to resonate despite a committed performance from Mélissa Boros. The film, which attempts to explore themes of body horror and coming-of-age, is set in an ambiguous time that feels like an alternative present or a recent past. The story follows thirteen-year-old Alpha, who shocks her mother by returning from a party with a tattoo of the letter A on her arm. This rebellious act is quickly overshadowed by a bizarre new disease that turns its victims into marble-white statues, overwhelming the hospital where Alpha's mother works as a doctor. However, despite the chaos outside, Ducournau's portrayal lacks urgency and realism, with medical professionals appearing unfazed by the crisis, which diminishes the film's intended commentary on societal issues like drug addiction and disease.

The narrative attempts to tackle various societal fears, drawing parallels to the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, but ultimately falls flat in its execution. Alpha's character faces bullying at school, reflecting the film's commentary on misogyny and homophobia, yet these themes are presented in an overly dramatic and incoherent manner. The storytelling is described as tedious and overwrought, with every element feeling exaggerated and redundant. Critics suggest that Ducournau, known for her earlier work in Raw, has strayed far from the precision and impact of her previous films, leaving Alpha as a bewildering and ultimately disappointing entry in her filmography.

TruthLens AI Analysis

The review of Julia Ducournau’s film "Alpha" presents a stark critique, highlighting its perceived shortcomings in coherence and emotional impact. The author expresses disappointment, suggesting that the film lacks the energy and purpose found in Ducournau's previous works. This analysis raises several points of interest regarding the implications of the review, its potential influence on audiences, and the broader context of art criticism.

Purpose of the Review

The review serves to inform potential viewers about the film's deficiencies, framing it as a disappointment in the context of the Cannes competition. By emphasizing the film's incoherence and lack of compelling narrative, the reviewer aims to guide audiences’ expectations, potentially dissuading them from viewing it. This may reflect a broader objective to uphold standards within the film industry, particularly for works showcased at prestigious festivals.

Perception Within the Community

By articulating a negative response to "Alpha," the review may resonate with those who share a critical perspective of contemporary cinema, particularly within the body horror genre. It creates a dialogue among film enthusiasts about the quality and direction of Ducournau's work, possibly fostering a sense of community among critics and viewers who value narrative clarity and emotional engagement.

What Might Be Hidden?

While the review focuses on the film itself, it may inadvertently obscure the broader conversations about artistic expression and the evolution of cinema. The harsh critique could divert attention from the film's thematic explorations, such as its commentary on societal issues like drug addiction or health crises, which could merit deeper discussion.

Manipulative Elements

The review could be seen as manipulative in its strong language, potentially influencing public opinion against the film without fully exploring its themes. The choice of words such as "bewildering disappointment" could evoke a negative emotional response, swaying readers to align with the author's viewpoint rather than forming their own.

Truthfulness of the Review

The review presents subjective opinions rather than objective facts, which is typical in film criticism. While the reviewer’s perspective on the film's coherence and emotional impact is valid, it may not universally reflect all viewers’ experiences.

Cultural Implications

Given the film’s exploration of body horror and societal issues, the review may impact discussions around mental health, addiction, and the portrayal of youth in cinema. The negative framing might influence how these topics are perceived in relation to the film, possibly affecting public discourse.

Audience Targeting

The review appears to target cinephiles and critics who are familiar with Ducournau's previous work and who appreciate nuanced storytelling. It likely resonates with audiences that prioritize narrative coherence over experimental storytelling.

Potential Market Impact

While the review itself may not directly influence stock markets, it could affect the film's box office performance, particularly if negative sentiment spreads. Investors in film production companies may take note of critical responses when considering future projects.

Global Power Dynamics

The review does not directly relate to global power dynamics but contributes to the ongoing conversation about cultural representation in media. It reflects current societal anxieties and debates, particularly regarding health crises and societal reactions to them.

Use of AI in the Review

It is unlikely that artificial intelligence was employed in crafting this review, as it reflects a deeply personal and subjective analysis. However, AI models that analyze sentiment could have influenced the framing of specific critiques if utilized in a broader context of film analysis.

In conclusion, the review of "Alpha" functions as a critical commentary on artistic expression in contemporary cinema, steering public perception while engaging with broader societal themes. The subjective nature of the critique calls into question the reliability of its claims, illustrating the complexities of film criticism in influencing audience reception.

Unanalyzed Article Content

Source URL: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/19/alpha-review-julia-ducournaus-disjointed-body-horror-is-an-absolute-gamma

Strident, oppressive, incoherent and weirdly pointless from first to last … Julia Ducournau’s new film Alpha has to be the most bewildering disappointment of this year’s Cannes competition; even an honest lead performance from Mélissa Boros can’t retrieve it.

I admit I was agnostic about her much-acclaimed Palme d’Or winnerTitanefrom 2021 but that had an energised purpose lacking in Alpha and Ducournau’s excellent 2016 debutRawis still easily her best work.

Body-horror – the keynote of Ducournau’s films – is still arguably the genre here, or maybe body-horror-coming-of age. We are in a kind of alternative present or recent past; some of the film appears to take place before France adopted the euro in 2002, or perhaps in this imagined world, the euro didn’t happen.

Thirteen-year-old Alpha (Boros), from a Moroccan-French family, royally freaks out her mother (Golshifteh Farahani) one evening by coming back from a party with the letter A tattooed on her arm. (This incidentally indicates a kind of badass rebellious attitude that she never really displays again.) With a dirty needle? A shared needle?

Her mother, a doctor, is beside herself because her hospital is now overwhelmed with infection cases of a bizarre new disease, which turns the sufferer into a marble-white statue. However, despite the near-riot developing outside the hospital, Ducournau doesn’t show any restrictive hygiene practices and appears to suggest that society ultimately pretty much copes with the white-marble disease, with unstressed doctors and nurses in the same hospital smilingly dealing with a row of patients.

This fictional situation could therefore be said to gesture at Aids or Covid, although it is not particularly compelling or scary either on its own literal terms or as metaphor. It could relate to respectable society’s horror of drug addicts – who include Alpha’s emaciated smackhead brother Amin (Tahar Ramin) whom Alpha’s mom once very rashly allowed to babysit the five-year-old Alpha in some scuzzy rented room while patently out of it – he is evidently intended to be some sort of magically sacrificial figure.

As for Alpha, her tattoo, and her leaking bandage, earn her some bullying ostracism from the class, who are themselves angrily preoccupied with the disease, and the various infections of misogyny and homophobia are arguably also being satirised.

But the madly, bafflingly overwrought and humourless storytelling can’t overcome the fact that everything here is frankly unpersuasive and tedious. Every line, every scene, has the emoting dial turned up to 11 and yet feels redundant. Ducournau surely has to find her way back to the cool precision and certainty of Raw.

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Source: The Guardian