Alpha (2018) - This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship - 10/10 (07/11/18)

Going into this movie, I didn't expect much since I have had my share of bad experiences with prehistoric epics like the awful 10,000 BC. Alpha turned out to be a relatively authentic documentary, moving drama and energetic survival adventure movie with many emotional highlights and a creative twist to finish on a high note.

While other prehistoric epics rely on senseless dialogues and complicated plots, this film goes off the beaten path and is quite charming in its simplicity. A teenager is left for dead after his first hunting trip with his tribe and his father who is their leader. He survives however and gets attacked by a pack of wolves. Injuring one of them, he nurses the wolf back to health, developing what would later on become the friendship between dogs and humans. However, both the injured teenager and the injured wolf must make it back to their respective families in order to survive the harsh winter conditions. They rely on each other and will live many adventurous anecdotes until the dramatic ending.

Aside the simple plot, I liked the scarcity of dialogues to focus on emotions, gestures and landscapes rather than unnecessary words. The acting performances are authentic and grounded and one can see the protagonist come to age throughout the film. The precise camera work, the epic soundtrack and the stunning settings enhance the movie's epic premise. It's also a film that will please both younger and older audiences because it teaches us about human values such as family, friendship, hope, loss and trust. Another positive point is the lack of overtly flashy special effects, unnecessary side stories and needless flashbacks that makes the film more authentic, credible and intense.

What I expected to be a mildly entertaining adventure movie turned out being one of the greatest films of the year. No matter of you prefer actions films, documentaries or dramas, Alpha offers something for every taste and is particularly balanced and focused in its genre mixture. Alpha is much deeper than you might expect and is a film you can watch with your parents, friends and even children.