Sep 7, 2026 10:36am PT
‘Alpha Gang’ Review: Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine and an All-Star Cast Play Space Aliens in David and Nathan Zellner’s Endearingly Goofy Sci-Fi Spoof
With a ‘50s biker gang aesthetic and a premise that loosely recalls 'Pleasantville,' the fiercely indie brothers’ latest oddity is a mostly winsome ensemble affair where everyone commits to the bit.
Among the greatest cinematic mysteries of our time, when it’s harder than ever to make movies, is the fact that David and NathanZellner continue to realize their uncompromisingly DIY, endearingly childlike vision through an indie filmography that only seems to grow in scale and purpose. It’s a welcome miracle that the duo who once captured the rhythms of childhood in their own idiosyncratic way (“Kid-Thing”), channeled compassion for those who might think the buried “Fargo” treasure is real (“Kumiko the Treasure Hunter”), and made a goofily unhinged groom out of Robert Pattinson nearly a decade before “The Drama” got there (“Damsel”), continue to play in their lovable sandbox.
For most audiences, the Zellners’ rhythms and textures are an acquired taste of sorts, like oysters or Marmite, that some would swear by, and others couldn’t fathom. Thankfully, many of the finest actors out there seem to revere them. In fact, quite a few of them — including Léa Seydoux, Cate Blanchett (also a producer), Chris Pine and Kelvin Harrison Jr. — turn up and gleefully let loose in the brothers’ latest indie oddity “Alpha Gang,” about a group of isolated, leather-clad space aliens aiming to conquer the earth while donned in ‘50s biker gear. Because, well, why not?
