Review: 'After the Hunt'
'After the Hunt' is a cathartic thriller weakened by an ambitious and pretentious script.
The Film's Strengths and Weaknesses
While boasting striking acting and visuals, Luca Guadagnino's stylized film suffers from heavy-handed dialogue.
Against all odds, I've found myself in the business of optics, not substance.
This line, spoken by a peripheral character, serves as the unassuming thesis of the film.
The Plot
'After the Hunt' is a gripping psychological thriller that weaves a complex web of power dynamics related to race, class, and gender.
The film is set in 2019 on a campus, where philosophy professor Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts) contends with the news that a favored colleague, Hank (Andrew Garfield), has allegedly sexually assaulted her Ph.D. student, Maggie (Ayo Edebiri).
The Characters and Tone
With a swooping score and a cast of suspicious characters, the movie conjures 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 thriller with striking visuals and acting.
- Director: Luca Guadagnino
- Starring: Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg