AFTER THE HUNT
- ARTISTIC HUB MAGAZINE
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
A film that confronts difficult questions
Julia Roberts and Luca Guadagnino
At the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Luca Guadagnino presented his new film After the Hunt, a psychological thriller that entwines the academic world with the moral labyrinth of our time. At its center is philosophy professor Alma Imhoff, played by Julia Roberts, who fights for her position at the university while the carefully constructed life around her begins to unravel.
When her brightest student Maggie (Ayo Edebiri) accuses Alma’s colleague and close friend Hank (Andrew Garfield) of sexual misconduct, a web of suspicion, secrets and power unfolds. The accusation is only the spark that ignites an avalanche. The film does not focus on a single truth but instead probes multiple perspectives, human weakness, and the fragile line between the personal and the public.
Guadagnino, known for turning cinema into a space for dialogue, goes a step further here. Inspired by the debut script of Nora Garrett, he shapes the story as a tense game in which every character builds their own universe and moral compass. The camera of Malik Hassan Sayeed, returning to feature films after twenty-five years, infuses unease into every frame. The interplay of light and shadow on Yale’s campus, meticulously recreated in London studios, transforms academia into a stage for doubt and power struggles.
Julia Roberts, in a role far colder and more complex than many of her earlier ones, delivers a performance that is both intellectual and deeply wounded. Critics agree that this is one of her strongest performances in decades and may well bring her back into the conversation for major awards. The Washington Post highlights how Roberts brings a new dimension to Alma, while The Guardian observes that the film avoids easy answers, though at times it feels overstuffed and uneven. Decider calls it “too smart for its own good,” yet acknowledges that it raises questions audiences will carry long after the credits roll.
Alongside Roberts, the ensemble cast shines with equal force: Garfield as a charismatic professor who shifts between charm and menace, and Edebiri as the student whose voice exposes the fractures within academia. Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny add layers of friendship, loyalty, and disillusionment.
The score, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, underscores the pervasive sense of uncertainty. Their electronic textures are not meant to soothe but to heighten the unease, echoing the constant doubt that runs through the story.
After the Hunt is not a film that provides answers. It is a film that asks questions. What does truth mean when everyone carries their own version of it? Who defines the boundary between power and abuse? And how long can we live while concealing our own mistakes? Guadagnino leaves the audience to reflect, and in that lies the film’s deepest strength.
The film arrives in theaters this October, opening in limited release on October 10 and expanding worldwide on October 17. For some critics it is too long and layered. For others it is a bold work that mirrors the moment we live in. For audiences, one thing is certain: After the Hunt will not be easily forgotten.
Technical Information
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Screenplay: Nora Garrett
Production: Imagine Entertainment, Frenesy Film Company, Amazon MGM Studios
Producers: Brian Grazer, Luca Guadagnino, Jeb Brody, Allan Mandelbaum
Executive Producers: Karen Lunder, Justin Wilkes, Alice Dawson, Nora GarrettCast: Julia Roberts (Alma Imhoff), Andrew Garfield (Hank Gibson), Ayo Edebiri (Maggie Resnick), Michael Stuhlbarg (Frederik Mendelssohn), Chloë Sevigny (Dr. Kim Sayers)
Genre: Psychological thriller
Runtime: 138 minutes
Director of Photography: Malik Hassan Sayeed
Music: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Production Design: Stefano Baisi
Costume Design: Giulia Piersanti
Editing: Marco Costa
Distribution: Amazon MGM Studios
Premiere: August 29, 2025, Venice International Film Festival; theatrical release begins October 10, 2025 in limited release, with worldwide expansion on October 17, 2025
Rights and Credits Notice
This article is based on the official pressbook for After the Hunt (Amazon MGM Studios, 2025) and publicly available reviews published in The Guardian, The Washington Post and Decider. All quotes and references are clearly attributed in line with editorial standards.
All photographic and visual material related to the film, including stills and press images, is used strictly for editorial purposes, with the following credit line: Photo: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios / La Biennale di Venezia
