Overview

• 'Alpha,' Julia Ducournau's third feature, premiered in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, receiving a 12-minute standing ovation.
• The film follows a 13-year-old girl, Alpha, and her single mother as they navigate a fictional virus that petrifies victims into marble-like statues, evoking the AIDS crisis and societal fears of contagion.
• Critics note the film blends body horror with family drama, focusing on themes of addiction, fear, and the complexities of mother-daughter relationships.
• The screening experienced a brief disruption due to a medical emergency in the audience, but the film continued uninterrupted.
• Neon, which distributed Ducournau's Palme d’Or-winning 'Titane,' will release 'Alpha' in theaters this fall.