David R. Walker

After the Hunt

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg, Andrew Garfield, Chloe Sevigny

Running Time: 2 hours and 18 minutes

Film Rating: 6 out of 10

THIS FILM IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME

Sicilian director Luca Gudagnino follows on from the success of his previous film Challengers which was lavishly shot with a strange psychological thriller in which he attempts unsuccessfully to capture the zeitgeist of the early 2020’s in his new film After the Hunt.

Fortunately Oscar winner Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) centres this uneven and ultimately disappointing film which unravels from the middle onwards.

Roberts plays an ambitious philosophy lecturer Alma at the prestigious Yale University where by her and her fellow lecturer Hank superbly played with hyper masculinity by Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge, Tick Tick, Boom) are embroiled in a dangerous and toxic game of accusations and counter accusations when an arch manipulator and troubled student Maggie brilliantly played by The Bear star Ayo Edebiri disrupts their comfortable and privileged lives.

After a particularly boozy party at Alma’s house hosted by herself and her husband, clinical psychologist Frederik expertly played by Michael Stuhlbarg, Hank accompanies Maggie home.

The next day Maggie, Alma’s star philosophy graduate student comes to her professor with a shocking accusation that Hank tried to touch her inappropriately. There is no proof, only insinuation and hearsay.

Simultaneously Hank tells Alma that Maggie has plagiarised her philosophy dissertation and then when he gets accused and fired by the University faculty he explodes and tells Alma that he is a victim of this shallow cultural moment.

After the Hunt unfortunately doesn’t dwell on specifics in a meandering narrative which will leave the viewer slightly confused. Director Luca Guadagnino was keen to make a film that captured the zeitgeist of the MeToo movement in an academic setting but he doesn’t capitalize on a narrative which could have been explosive and challenging. After the Hunt suffers from a poor script and an overlong narrative which makes the film economically unviable.

Despite some great scenes between Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield, the entire film seems to virtue signal about a cultural moment which hasn’t finished running its course, so it’s true impact is impossible to quantify. After the Hunt will challenge viewers perceptions but will not entertain them.

After the Hunt has great potential, but sags in the middle causing the morally questionable characters to unsuccessfully sustain a narrative which lacks resolution.

Luca Guadagnino should go back to the formula which made his hit films so brilliant. After The Hunt fails to equal the brilliance of Call Me By Your Name or even Challengers.

After the Hunt gets a film rating of 6 out of 10.

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