Alpha

Spoiler alert! Please do not read the following plot summary if you have not seen the film.In Upper Paleolithic Europe, 20,000 years in the past, a small tribe of hunter-gatherers prepares for an expedition to hunt for the coming winter's food. Tau, its chief, trains his adolescent son Keda, accepting him and another boy to join the hunting party. His wife Rho worries that Keda is not ready, but Tau believes he is, and the hunters set out.

Tau tests Keda by having him kill a boar they've caught, but Keda balks. One night, the party's fire draws the attention of a big cat, which lunges through their circle, snatching Keda's friend; hearing the fatal struggle in the darkness, the tribe gives him up for dead. The member is given a memorial service in the form of placing rocks to symbolise the passing of one's spirit to the afterlife.

The hunters eventually reach a herd of steppe bison, which they attempt to stampede off a cliff in relative success. Amidst the chaos, Keda is thrown over the edge, gripping the rough cliff edge with his hand. Keda loses grip and falls further where he appears to break his leg and is knocked to unconsciousness. Tau attempts to climb down to him but he is stopped by another member of the tribe who assures him in good faith that Keda is dead and there would be no way to reach him nonetheless. The tribe leaves, Tau placing a symbolising rock stricken with grief.

Keda awakes and tries to climb the rest of the way down the cliff. A sudden heavy rainfall causes the ravine below to flood, and losing his grip, Keda jumps into the water. He survives, and splints his injured foot. Seeing the memorial cairn left by his tribe, he realizes he must trek back to the village by himself.

He is attacked by a pack of wolves, but escapes up a tree, wounding one of them, which the others leave behind. Keda takes pity on it and cares for its injury. Gradually gaining the wolf's trust, he gives it water and then food, establishing himself as dominant by feeding himself first. He sets out for the village without the wolf, but it follows him. Their companionship grows, and they learn to hunt small boar together. Along the way, Keda names the wolf Alpha.

One night they are approached menacingly by a pack of wolves. They hesitate upon seeing Alpha, who steps forward and greets them. The pack runs off, and with Keda's blessing, Alpha joins them.

Keda continues his journey alone, as the season changes to winter. On a frozen lake, he encounters a pack of wolves feeding. Recognizing Alpha, he runs to them, but the ice breaks and he falls through. Alpha helps rescue him, and they are reunited.

Continuing the journey together, they find a man who has died at his tent, and scavenge a bow and arrow from it. Later, they take refuge from hyenas in a cave, where they are attacked by another big cat. Alpha and the cat fight, and Keda kills the cat with the arrow. However, Alpha is badly injured and now travels with difficulty. Meanwhile, Keda begins to cough up blood. When Alpha finally cannot walk, Keda carries the wolf.

Keda eventually finds the village and reunites happily with his parents, who are amazed and proud of him. As the village healer tends to Alpha's wounds, the wolf delivers a litter of pups, to Keda's surprise. Alpha and her pups are formally welcomed into the tribe, and grow up in the care of Alpha and Keda. In time, the tribe becomes one of both humans and domesticated wolves, hunting together.