Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Alpha
2018
***½
Director: Albert Hughes
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Natassia Malthe, Marcin Kowalczyk, Jens Hultén, Leonor Varela

Some 20,000 years ago in Europe, young Keda is about to prove his manhood by hunting a bison, but he suffers an accident and is left for dead by his tribe. Keda attempts to makes his way back home through the hostile environment with an injured wolf as his companion. The Hughes brothers are best known for their gritty urban dramas like Menace II Society and Dead Presidents. However, Albert Hughes' first solo effort is a prehistorical epic, which is consistently gripping if not always believable. Like Quest for Fire almost 40 years ago, the characters communicate in an invented language. The film looks absolutely stunning.