Julia Ducournau's film Alpha begins with a child creating beauty from harsh realities, contrasting with her previous works. The story follows 13-year-old Alpha in a post-epidemic world where a virus calcifies victims. Themes of trauma, acceptance, and societal issues, particularly relating to the AIDS crisis, are explored through Alpha's relationships, especially with her uncle Amin. The film is a slow-burning meditation on grief and the cyclical nature of trauma, diverging from Ducournau's earlier body horror style to focus on emotional depth.