Overview
- The story centers on 13-year-old Alpha, who is ostracized after a party tattoo raises fears of exposure to an unnamed illness.
- Ducournau says the film is not about AIDS, emphasizing a focus on how fear spreads and fuels rejection and hate.
- Tahar Rahim plays Alpha’s uncle and prepared by losing over 20 kilograms and working with a charity supporting drug users.
- Mélissa Boros leads the cast as Alpha, with Golshifteh Farahani portraying her mother.
- An early Empire review calls the film more restrained than Titane, highlighting strong performances and a bleak, grounded tone.