Alpha Dog
Alpha Dog
Alpha Dog is a 2006 American crime drama directed by Nick Cassavetes. It’s based on the real-life 2000 kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz and follows a group of young drug dealers in the San Gabriel Valley. The film stars Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, Sharon Stone, and Bruce Willis.
The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2006, and was released in the United States on January 12, 2007 by Universal Pictures. With a budget of about $9.5 million, it grossed around $32 million worldwide. A soundtrack by Milan Records was released on January 9, 2007.
Plot in brief: Johnny Truelove, a teenage drug dealer, and his crew kidnap Zack, the younger half-brother of a debt-holder, to pressure payment. Zack befriends some members of the gang, but the plan spirals out of control. Elvis, acting to settle the debt, helps kill Zack, and the group’s crimes lead to arrests and prison sentences for the participants.
Reception: The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. It holds about 54% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score around 53. Audiences gave it a B− on CinemaScore. Some praised the performances, especially Yelchin’s portrayal of Zack, while others criticized how the film treated real events.
Home media: Alpha Dog was released on DVD in 2007 and Blu-ray in 2010. The real-life case behind the film sparked controversy and discussion about how Hollywood portrays crime.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:26 (CET).