The 2018 adventure movieAlphais trending on Netflix, and there are several great shows and movies with similar settings or themes to watch next. The movie follows a teenage boy named Kedaduring the last ice ageas he journeys away from his settlement for the first time on a hunting trip with others from his tribe. However, during a steppe bison stampede, Keda is knocked from a cliff. Thinking him dead, his father and the rest of their hunting group leave, forcing Keda tosurvive on his own in the dangerous wilderness.
While the movie may seem bleak for a bit, Keda soon finds company with a wolf, Alpha, who he begins to domesticate. The wholesome connection between Keda and Alpha also makesAlphaa great addition toNetflix’s catalog of dog movies, and it highlights just how far back the connection between the two species goes. Along with the impressive performances and visuals, their strong relationship is just one of the enjoyable aspects ofAlphathat will leave audiences looking for similarly entertaining stories to watch next.
The Harrison Ford-ledadaptation of Jack London’s 1903 novelThe Call of the Wildcenters on a dog named Buck and his adventures across the Yukon territory. The movie sees the dog forcibly taken from California to work as a sled dog in the Yukon, facing various trials in his relationships with humans who treat the dog with disrespect. Luckily, the movie also follows Buck during his time with Ford’s, Thornton, who bonds with the dog and encourages him to embrace his wild side, allowing audiences to get a glimpse of the species' former natural habitat.
UnlikeAlpha, which largely flew under the radar at the time of its release, the notoriety of London’s work and Harrison Ford’s status meant thatThe Call of the Wildgot plenty of press leading up to its release. Though it only received moderate reviews and failed to make back its exorbitant budget,The Call of the Wildis actually very tender and definitely worth a watch for dog lovers. There are certainly difficult moments throughout the plot, but overall, the movie’s themes of survival and loyalty are very clear through Thornton and Buck’s relationship.
The concept of prehistory and what it would have been like to live thousands of years ago is incredibly interesting since there is so much that can never be known from fossil evidence. WhileAlphaattempts to construct that kind of life in one way,the seriesLa Breaapproaches the topic from a very different direction. The NBC science fiction series begins in present-day Los Angeles, but that quickly changes as characters are pulled into a sinkhole that transports them far into the past, leaving them fighting for survival.
La Breais currently streaming on Peacock.
The series sees characters learn to survive in a world that is much more primal than the one that we know today. They deal with a difficult environment and dangerous animals, while their counterparts in the contemporary world worry over how to bring everyone back. While the science fiction angle and modern aspects of the show make it different fromAlphain some ways,La Brea’sability to explore what early human settlers in the Americas would have seen is an interesting comparison toAlpha’s vision of life in Europe in the Upper Paleolithic.
Disney’s 2019 movieTogotells the incredible true story of the sled dog Togo and his owner, Leonhard Seppala.Togo’s cast isled by Willem Dafoeas Seppala, a musher in Nome, Alaska who was involved in the 1925 Diptheria serum run to Nome. At the time of its release on Disney+, Togo received positive reviews and currently holds a 92% critical approval rating and 95% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers noted that the story is both gripping and a wholesome look at the bond between its characters, human and animal.
Togo’s dramatization of real events is certainly gripping, but it never feels overdone. Audiences can appreciate the real stakes that Seppala and his team of sled dogs face as they rush to carry the antitoxin from Nenana to Nome. LikeAlpha, Togohighlights the limits of survival and the importance of the bond between one man and his dog as the two rely on each other to survive. Despite their different settings and plots,the two films pair well thanks to their shared themes and lovable canine characters.
For those audiences who were most interested in the survival aspects of Keda’s story,The Revenantis an even more intense watch that makes use of some of the same plot beats.Alphasees Keda left behind after being injured and includes him overcoming those injuries to go on his own hero’s journey home to his tribe.Leonardo DiCaprio’s role as Hugh Glass inThe Revenantsees him undertake a bloody R-rated version of a similar journey.The movie is not appropriate for younger audiences, but for adults who enjoyedAlpha, The Revenantfeels like a source of inspiration.
The Revenantfollows Hugh Glass, a frontiersman who was left by his companions after being attacked and nearly killed by a bear.Much of the film follows his harrowing journey back to Fort Kiowa, evading enemies and narrowly surviving under harsh conditions. The movie’s portrayal of betrayal and revenge through impressive performances and great direction earnedThe Revenantnumerous awards, including both Best Director for Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio at the Oscars.
Alphacreates a very interesting fictionalized version of prehistoric life, with characters who help make the far-off period feel more understandable to modern audiences. The Apple TV+ documentary seriesPrehistoric Planettakes things back even further, and it does so as a speculative documentary.Prehistoric Planetdraws attention to the time before humans walked the Earth. While Keda interacts with now-extinct species, the David Attenborough-narrated series focuses exclusively on them, including various dinosaurs and their contemporaries.
Keda’s life in a hunter-gatherer society is completely foreign to many modern audiences, butAlphamakes his journey understandable. Likewise,Prehistoric Planetbrought the Late Cretaceous period to life with CGI renderings of dinosaurs and other Cretaceous species using the most updated technology and archaeological findings.Prehistoric Planetwas nominated for numerous awards and received great reviews, making it the perfect series forAlpha’s audiences interested in learning more about another stage of prehistory.
3Dogs: The Untold Story (2016)
For A Greater Look At How Dogs Came To Be Important Parts Of Human Life
Dogs: The Untold Storyis a documentary miniseries that is currently available to stream on Discovery+. As much asAlphais about Keda’s story of survival and his journey through the unknown to make it back to his family and home, it is equally about Alpha and how the two characters become linked. To dog owners, their relationship probably does not come as much of a surprise. What viewers may know less about is how exactly dogs came to be such an important part of human life, butDogs: The Untold Storyhelps explain just that.
From wild dogs to dogs trained for specific purposes, the series highlights just how much we as humans have come to rely on our canine companions.
The documentary series explores different dog breeds from around the world and how they interact with humans. From wild dogs to dogs trained for specific purposes, the series highlights just how much we as humans have come to rely on our canine companions. In other words, how Keda comes to rely on Alpha throughout the movie is explained in more scientific terms. With just 5 episodes,the series is perfect for a quick watch that will satisfy the whole family.
10,000 BCtells the story of one young man’s adventure into the unknownafter his hunter-gatherer camp is attacked, changing his life forever. The movie follows D’Leh, a warrior who hopes to rescue those close to him, including his love interest Evolet, after they are captured by warriors from another tribe. The movie highlights vastly different ways of life and beliefs and how those changed humanity, at the same time following D’Leh’s hero’s journey.
What Language The Characters Are Speaking In 2018’s Alpha
The 2018 movie Alpha follows a boys journey to reunite with his family, but this detail about the movie’s language makes Alpha even more impressive.
At the time of its release,10,000 BCwas a box office success, showing that audiences enjoyed the action sequences and fictional historical narrative. However, the movie failed to impress critics due to its various historical inaccuracies, including the hunter-gatherers of10,000 BCinteracting with civilizations and technology that would not exist for thousands of years. In spite of the anachronisms,10,000 BCis still worth watching simply because it is a very fun and entertaining popcorn movie with a similar prehistoric setting toAlpha.
1Iceman (2017)
Iceman’s Tale Of Adventure And Survival Is Similar To Alpha
The 2017 German filmIcemantells a speculative story about the life and death of the real mummy, Otzi, who lived in the Alps over 5,000 years ago. Scientific analysis of the mummy since it was found in the 1990s has revealed a lot about who he was, making the film’s story incredibly interesting.Icemanfollows Kelab (the movie’s version of Otzi) as he goes on a quest for vengeance after surviving an attack on his clan. It chronicles his search for the attackers leading to his death, corresponding to how he was found thousands of years later.
Icemanis currently streaming on Prime Video.
Icemanreceived positive reviews upon its release and currently holds an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Positive critics' reviews on the site noted the film’s impressive direction and performances, likening the narrative to classic adventure films and even Westerns due toIceman’s themes of revenge and grief. Interestingly,Icemanhas very little dialogue, but it does use a speculative version of Rhaetian that was recreated by a linguist in a similar manner toAlpha’s detailed proto-language, adding to the film’s realism.
