Alpha Gang, the science fiction comedy from directors David and Nathan Zellner, made its world premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival this weekend. The film, nearly a decade in the making, is the largest-scale production the Zellner Brothers have attempted. It marks a significant expansion from their previous feature, the largely wordless Sasquatch Sunset.
The premise is deliberately strange: a group of humanoid aliens arrive on Earth in 1950s Eastern Europe, disguised as a leather-clad biker gang, only to find their conquest mission unraveling as they begin experiencing human emotion. Shot on location in Budapest and at ancient ruins in Podgarić, Croatia, the film leans into its absurdist premise without apology. "We wanted to approach it with absolute sincerity, never with a wink," the Zellner Brothers told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cate Blanchett, who also serves as a producer through Dirty Films alongside Coco Francini, described the tonal approach as "alien Chekhovian." Assembling the ensemble proved its own challenge. The cast spans Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough, Lily-Rose Depp, Dave Bautista, Adria Arjona, Doona Bae, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and a cameo from Chris Pine. "It was a real jigsaw puzzle, but everybody sort of jumped at it," Blanchett told The Hollywood Reporter. Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, whose work includes Us and It Follows, shot the 109-minute film.
MK2 Films is handling international sales. Alpha Gang heads to the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13.