Alpha Dog poster

Alpha Dog (2006)

Film · 2h 2m · Rated R

Crime, Drama, Thriller

A drug dealer's rash decision to kidnap a teenager escalates into a bleak, pulpy crime drama.

Tense. A full-attention watch at a measured pace. Emotionally it is devastating. Based on true events.

Not on a US subscription service as of Oct 29, 2026.

Alpha Dog parents guide

It stays inside its R, with moderate sex and nudity, and strong violence.

Scare
Mildly scary
A few tense or eerie moments.
Jump scares
None noted
Gore
Light gore
Some blood or injury, briefly.
Violence
Strong violence
Violence is frequent or intense.
Sex and nudity
Moderate
Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.
Language
Strong
Frequent strong profanity or slurs.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is Alpha Dog scary?
Only a little. Alpha Dog has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.
How gory is Alpha Dog?
Light gore and strong violence.
What is Alpha Dog rated, and is it OK for kids?
Rated R, and it earns it: moderate sex and nudity, strong violence, and frequent strong language. Not one for kids.

What is Alpha Dog about?

Johnny Truelove likes to see himself as tough. He's the son of an underworld figure and a drug dealer. Johnny also likes to get tough when things don't go his way. When Jake Mazursky fails to pay up for Johnny, things get worse for the Mazursky family, as Johnny and his 'gang' kidnap Jake's 15 year old brother and hold him hostage.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

No. Brace yourself.

Cast and crew

Directed byNick Cassavetes
StarringEmile Hirsch, Bruce Willis, Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Foster

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Uses the TMDB API; not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, content, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.