‘Alpha’: Kodi Smit-McPhee’s Prehistoric Survival Story Earns Its Place

“Alpha” is a prehistoric adventure about a boy named Keda who loses his tribe and finds a wolf named Alpha. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Keda, and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson plays his father Tau. The film was directed by Albert Hughes and written by Dan Wiedenhaupt, from a story by Hughes. It runs 97 minutes and follows Keda through a hunting trip gone wrong in Upper Paleolithic Europe, 20,000 years ago.

Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Keda Loses His Tribe

Keda joins his tribe’s hunting party to gather food for the coming winter. His father, Tau, lets him bring along his friend Kappa. The hunt starts well, but a lion attacks and kills Kappa. The tribe buries him and moves on, leaving Keda behind after a bison chase sends him tumbling off a cliff.

Sigma, a fellow hunter, tells Tau Keda is dead and cannot be reached. The tribe departs, and Tau mourns his son. Keda wakes up after a vulture mistakes him for dead, kills the bird, and tries to climb back up the cliff. A flood forces him to jump into the rising water below.

A Wolf Named Alpha

The wolf Alpha, played by Chuck the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, shows up at the bottom of the cliff. Keda takes him in, and the two bond while Keda recovers from his fall. Alpha helps Keda survive the wilderness until he can find his way back to his tribe.

The bond between Keda and Alpha is the film’s center. The wolf’s presence gives the story a reason to keep going beyond simple survival.

The Flood Scene

The flood scene is the film’s biggest set piece. Keda must decide whether to jump into the rushing water below the cliff. He chooses to jump, trusting the water will break his fall. It is a tense moment that drives the film’s second half.

The scene works because the film builds the stakes slowly. The audience knows Keda is hurt, knows the cliff is too steep to climb, and knows the water is rising fast. The decision to jump feels earned rather than forced.

What Works and What Doesn’t

The film’s strengths sit in its performances and its look. Smit-McPhee carries the story with quiet strength, and the cinematography captures the cold, open landscapes of the period. The wolf Alpha, played by Chuck, is a real presence on screen.

The weaknesses come from pacing. Some stretches drag, particularly in the middle portion of the film. The film also leans heavily on its premise, and the story occasionally feels thin compared to the scale of the setting.

Here is what stands out:

• Kodi Smit-McPhee’s performance as Keda
• The bond between Keda and Alpha
• The flood scene near the climax
• The cinematography of the prehistoric landscape

The film drags in spots and leans on a thin story. But the bond between Keda and Alpha, and the flood scene, carry it through.

“Alpha” is a solid, if uneven, prehistoric adventure. It earns its place alongside other films set in ancient times by focusing on a boy, a wolf, and a cliff. The film’s score sits at 6.3 out of 10.

Alpha · movie review · prehistory · survival · wolf