Review: 'After the Hunt'
'After the Hunt' is a cathartic thriller weakened by an ambitious and pretentious script.
Luca Guadagnino's stylized film boasts striking acting and visuals, but suffers from heavy-handed dialogue. A peripheral character notes,
Against all odds, I've found myself in the business of optics, not substance.This line serves as the unassuming thesis of the film.
'After the Hunt' is a gripping psychological thriller that explores complex power dynamics related to race, class, and gender. The story takes place on a campus in 2019, where philosophy professor Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts) deals with the news that a favored colleague, Hank (Andrew Garfield), has allegedly sexually assaulted her Ph.D. student, Maggie (Ayo Edebiri).
The movie features a swooping score and a cast of suspicious characters, conjuring emotion and suspense. Each character is hiding something, whether a mysterious condition or intrusive tendencies. The one genuinely good character in the film is Alma's psychiatrist husband, Frederick, played by a delightful Michael Stuhlbarg.
Author's summary: A thrilling yet flawed film.
- Director: Luca Guadagnino
- Cast: Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg