Luca Guadagnino is in one of the most prolific periods of his eclectic career. Off the back of Challengers and Queer in 2024, the director returns with After the Hunt, a psychological examination of a Yale professor in the wake of one of her star pupils' allegations against one of her colleagues. Julia Roberts' Alma is up for tenure and committed to her job, dealing with frequent bouts of extreme pain. This is a messy film, spinning numerous plates examining the abuse of power, sexual abuse and its aftermath, and the state of the education system in America. Ultimately, it struggles to convey a clear message on any of these themes.

We open with a dinner party hosted by Alma and her husband, the extravagant Frederik (Michael Stuhlbarg). Among those in attendance are Hank (Andrew Garfield), Alma's close confidante and colleague and her pupil Maggie (Ayo Edeberi), the daughter of incredibly wealthy donors. Things quickly escalate into a series of tense arguments, particularly between Maggie and Hank. It eventually transpires that Hank suspects Maggie of plagiarising her thesis, something he raises with Alma. Concurrently, Maggie alleges that Hank sexually assaulted her after the party. This deluge of information creates an uneasy atmosphere for Alma.

Even from this brief synopsis, it's clear there is a lot on Guadagnino's mind. He makes even the more mundane parts of the film feel deeply uncomfortable with extreme close-ups of the central casts' visages and an oppressive, uncharacteristically intrusive score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The claustrophobic atmosphere does create tension, but Guadagnino seems uncertain of the message he wants us to take away from the film and indeed whose side he's on. Perhaps the biggest issue holding the film back is the deeply unlikable nature of the main cast, all of whom are hiding their share of secrets and demons. Maggie is cut off, and her familial ties make us question the validity of her story.

The performances save it to an extent, with Roberts giving one of her finest and most committed lead performances for some time. Garfield is also impressive, although surprisingly absent for large chunks of the film. Stuhlbarg injects some fun to the proceedings, although he does feel like he is in a different film to the rest of the cast.

After the Hunt is an awkward, jarring film that never quite settles on what it wants to say. Given the pedigree of the cast and how impressively staged elements are, it makes it one of the most frustrating films in Luca Guadagnino's filmography. While it's certainly far from unwatchable, it decidedly falls short of greatness.

After the Hunt was a Gala screening at the London Film Festival 2025