Luca Guadagnino continues to lead the charge as one of the most prolific filmmakers working today, with another feature soon after 2024’s double serving (Challengers and Queer). After The Hunt, an original penned by Nora Garrett, follows a Yale professor seeking tenure who becomes embroiled in an accusation of sexual misconduct made against one of her colleagues by her student. With its finger on the pulse, does After The Hunt overcome the challenges of tackling such a sticky subject at such a pivotal moment?
There is currently no bolder story to tackle than that which squarely examines the Me Too movement; while the ink on the headlines may have notably dried up, the hashtag is no longer as prevalent as a symbol of anger and accountability, the stories still permeate our world to alarming effect. Nora Garrett valiantly tackles the subject, setting After The Hunt's story in a higher education setting, which opens it up to levels of power and authority she explores with complexity. An “all sides” approach is favoured by Garrett, who goes to great lengths to document the varying levels of blame and complicity across the spectrum; it works for a good portion of the film, and the first hour particularly thrives; but by the time it comes to sink its teeth into and follow through on the provocative subject, After The Hunt's screenplay lose the nerve, pivoting away from the accusation towards as character study concentrated more specifically on Roberts. It's a little bit disappointing that the knives are sharpened but never used.
Perpetually one of the most creatively interesting directors, After The Hunt maintains Guadagnino's sophistication as a filmmaker, with an excitingly further developed visual language established by cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed, marking his 16-year return to feature filmmaking here. With a handful of now-signature characteristics certainly present (the crumpled bed sheets being a repeated symbol in his work), the use of intense close-ups and POV shots add a new dynamism to his work here: Guadagnino realises the crucial gut reactions to claims and accusations, and how they can control the narrative moving forward. He places those responses under the microscope to fascinating effect with his somewhat claustrophobic direction. Reuniting with composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the pair deliver another strong - if not quite as superlative as we have come to expect thanks to shattering work on Challengers and Bones and All - piece of work, pulsating with tension that keeps audiences locked in even amongst the film's weaker moments.
Julia Roberts delivers some of her finest work in years as the professor at the centre of the scandal. Her relaxed disposition becomes more tightly wound as she assesses the situation, torn between her understanding of right and wrong, her own experiences, and the potential backlash she faces; of course, it sends her hurtling towards a breaking point, and Roberts captures that descent with assurance, circumventing the overly dramatic tendencies a less sophisticated actor would be ensnared by for a more nuanced, complex turn. Andrew Garfield gives a solid, if underutilised performance, while Michael Stuhlbarg delivers characteristic work that evolves from doting husband to chary sceptic.
While not to suggest that Ayo Edebiri delivers an outright bad performance, it is not one suited to the content of the gritty After The Hunt. Her comedic background, featuring unintentional flourishes she never fully shakes off here, does her no favours, and her character lacks the clarity so desperately needed given the subject matter. Lines including "safe spaces", "conversations" and "crossing the line" are delivered as if they are about to become the punch line, and given the severity of the situation, do not play with the gravitas or severity needed to sell them. While Edebiri has potential dramatic chops, this was not the film to try flexing them with, an ultimately fatal miscast.
That After The Hunt's screenplay is not able to dig its teeth in when it counts is a significant blow for the overall film's success; the difference between a passably entertaining, suitably tense and most compelling film and the incendiary, vital piece of filmmaking it really should, and could, have been. The bold ambitions are scuppered by the "all sides" approach that spreads the blame too thin and then pivots away from addressing the harder, stickier questions with a change in focus. While Guadagnino manages far better than the majority of his contemporaries would in provoking the proverbial bear, it would take a miracle to execute this type of story flawlessly, and After The Hunt unfortunately registers as one of his weakest efforts since finding mainstream success.