Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- earnest
- visually expansive
- family adventure night
- nature film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well acted and beautifully filmed, with the human-animal relationship providing emotional appeal despite familiar survival conventions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Keda and the abandoned wolf gradually learn to rely on each other while crossing dangerous Ice Age wilderness.
Snowbound terrain, harsh weather, and large wilderness vistas dominate the pair's journey home before winter.
Keda's first hunt ends in serious injury and forces him to survive alone before he can return to his tribe.
The bond between Keda and the wolf presents a fictionalized origin story for the human relationship with dogs.
Films like Alpha, and why
The Revenant
shared wilderness survival adventure, human animal bond, and visually expansive prehistoric setting
The Call of the Wild
shared coming-of-age survival narrative, wilderness danger, and emotional reliance between a young protagonist and an animal companion
10,000 BC
shared prehistoric adventure, perilous natural environment, and emphasis on early human-animal relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Albert Hughes
- Release Date
- 2018-08-17
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (2830)
Cast
- Kodi Smit-McPhee
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson
- Marcin Kowalczyk
- Jens Hultén
- Natassia Malthe
- Spencer Bogaert
- Mercedes de la Zerda
- Leonor Varela
- Priya Rajaratnam
- Nashon Douglas
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Alpha about?
- An injured Ice Age hunter and an abandoned wolf form a fragile partnership across a brutal journey home.
- What is Alpha like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Alpha as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Alpha violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Alpha as moderate.
- What did critics think of Alpha?
- Critics broadly found the film well acted and beautifully filmed, with the human-animal relationship providing emotional appeal despite familiar survival conventions.
- Which films are like Alpha?
- Films with a similar feel include The Revenant, The Call of the Wild, and 10,000 BC.
- How long is Alpha?
- Alpha runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Alpha?
- In United States, Alpha streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
