Alpha (2018) is a historical adventure film directed by Albert Hughes, set during the Ice Age. The film explores the origins of the bond between humans and wolves, telling a fictionalized story about the first domestication of a wolf. It is a tale of survival, friendship, and the instinctive connection between man and animal.
Set 20,000 years ago during the Ice Age, Alpha follows Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a young, inexperienced member of a tribe. On a hunting expedition with his father (Jรณhannes Haukur Jรณhannesson), Keda is left for dead after a dangerous bison hunt goes wrong. Struggling to survive, Keda finds himself injured and alone in the wilderness.
While attempting to return home, Keda encounters a wolf (later named Alpha), injured and abandoned by its pack. Initially wary of each other, Keda and the wolf begin to form a bond as they struggle to survive together in the harsh conditions of the prehistoric world. Over time, their relationship evolves from mutual distrust to partnership and friendship, as Keda learns to trust the wolf, and the wolf learns to rely on Keda for survival.
The film focuses on Kedaโs emotional and physical journey as he matures into a capable hunter and leader, with the wolf by his side. The journey back to his tribe and the growth of their unique bond is a central part of the story.