Alpha (2026): The Pool Scene keeps the film tense but uneven overall
Alia Bhatt stands alone in a pool, the water around her blooming with a single crimson stain, a moment of such precise, haunting visual storytelling that it almost forgives the 140-minute runtime. You either buy into this film’s operatic violence and family-as-conspiracy premise, or you don’t: there is very little middle ground.
Alia Bhatt Makes The Leap From Star To Assassin
Bhatt carries Alpha with the coiled intensity of someone who has finally found a role that demands both physical grit and emotional fracture. Her transformation from a sheltered wealthy daughter to a cold-eyed operative is charted in her posture alone: early scenes show a hesitant, almost fragile body language, while the infiltration sequence reveals a predator who moves like she owns the shadows.
The pool scene is where Bhatt’s performance peaks. She does not scream or weep; she simply stands still, letting the visual do the work, and the restraint makes the moment land harder than any monologue could.
Shiv Rawail’s Direction: Vision Over Clarity
Rawail, who previously helmed The Railway Men, has a clear eye for symbolic imagery and large-scale espionage beats. The film’s harsh lighting and deliberate framing give every corridor and warehouse a sense of looming threat, a technical confidence that most Bollywood action-thrillers lack.
But the screenplay, co-written by Soumil Shukla, Shridhar Raghavan, and Ishita Moitra, buckles under its own complexity. The middle infiltration sequence is overstuffed with double-crosses and logistics that feel cobbled together rather than earned.
Action Thriller Execution: Espionage With A Pulse, Then A Stall
The primary genre, an action thriller with a mystery spine, works best when Rawail trusts his visuals and worst when he trusts his plot. The infiltration setpiece is a highlight: Bhatt’s Alpha moves through the soldier program facility with a brutal economy, each takedown a quick, sharp punctuation. The choreography favors close-quarters violence over spectacle, and it lands.
But the mystery side of the genre suffers from a weak antagonist. Bobby Deol’s villain is all presence and no dimension, he looms effectively, but the script gives him nothing to do except be a final obstacle. The “infected tattoo” reveal and the uncle’s dialogue, “I’ve caught something”, are intriguing ideas that never fully integrate into the conspiracy.
The second half drags because the emotional stakes plateau. Once Alpha knows her truth, the film runs on momentum rather than revelation, and the pacing slackens noticeably. A tighter cut could have shaved 15 minutes off the middle and preserved the tension.
For those who enjoy this blend of brutal action and familial betrayal, there are plenty of Hindi Thriller reviews to explore on the platform.
Sharvari And Anil Kapoor: Emotional Anchors In Sparse Roles
Sharvari, playing the stepmother, turns a potentially one-dimensional role into a source of quiet tension. Her scenes with Bhatt crackle with the specific discomfort of a woman who knows more than she says, she watches Alpha with a wariness that suggests she has survived the family’s secrets longer than anyone.
Anil Kapoor, as the father, brings the weary authority of a man who enabled the corruption he now regrets. His performance provides the family context that the screenplay otherwise rushes through; one wishes the script had given him a fuller arc rather than using him as exposition.
Audience Reception And The Box Office Verdict
The audience split is telling: 65% positive on social media, with most of the praise aimed at Bhatt and the pool scene, while complaints target the tangled plot and slow second half. The IMDb score of 6.5/10 (from 12, 450 votes) and a BookMyShow audience score of 7.2/10 suggest a film that satisfies its core action-fan base but frustrates general viewers. At the box office, Alpha opened at ₹45 million in India and grossed ₹120 million worldwide on day one, per a Trade Analyst Report. With a ₹300 million budget, the film has been declared a Hit, driven by Bhatt’s star pull and strong visual word-of-mouth, even if the narrative muscle falters.
A Rotten Tomatoes average of 6.8/10 reflects critics who admire the craft but question the structure; it is a film of arresting moments housed in a screenplay that needed one more pass.
I would argue that the pool scene alone is worth the price of admission, but only just.
Alpha is a film you watch for Alia Bhatt’s committed performance and Rawail’s visual ambition, not for airtight plotting. If you can stomach a meandering middle and a forgettable villain, the highs, especially that pool scene, are genuinely striking. Best seen on an IMAX screen where the cinematography can breathe.
Watch it for the crimson stain, but do not expect the whole canvas to hold together. Alpha is a flawed, ambitious thriller that earns a 6.5/10, a visually bold swing that connects more through its star than its story.
For a tighter exploration of family secrets and moral compromise, revisit Uyir review.
The unraveling of a corrupt legacy feels more textured in Ananthan Kaadu verdict.
Ankit Jaiswal is the Chief Author, covering Indian cinema and OTT releases with honest, no-filler criticism. An SEO strategist by background, he brings a research-driven approach to film writing, cutting through hype to tell you exactly what's worth your time.
