Cinema Review: After the Hunt (2025)
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Written by: Nora Garrett
Produced by: Brian Grazer, Allan Mandelbaum, Luca Guadagnino
Main Cast: Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny, Thaddea Graham, etc.
Cinematography Malik Hassan Sayeed
*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***
After the Hunt (2025), the latest work from Luca Guadagnino, further cements the director’s reputation as one of contemporary cinema’s most assured chroniclers of morally fraught, emotionally layered human drama. Having already proven his commanding directorial touch with Call Me by Your Name (2017) and Challengers (2024), plus a superior-than-the-original Suspiria (2018), Guadagnino again, from an insightful screenplay by Nora Garrett, demonstrates an uncanny ability to draw out great performances and create a sense of first world suspense that feels both sensual and cerebral.
Set within the hallowed halls of Yale University, After the Hunt (2025) delves into the ramifications of power, privilege, and academic integrity when allegations of sexual assault surface against a lauded professor, played by Andrew Garfield. The film positions itself within a lineage of stories interrogating abuses of power within established and esteemed hierarchies — in much the same way that Doubt (2008) examined such tensions within the church, and Tár (2022) explored them in the rarefied world of classical music. Guadagnino’s film strives for a similar level of psychological and thematic complexity, exploring how institutional prestige and human frailties often shield misconduct and complicity.
The main drama arrives after a dinner party hosted by philosophy professor Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts) and her psychiatrist husband, Frederik Imhoff (Michael Stuhlbarg). Also present at the party are Alma’s colleague and longtime friend Hank Gibson (Andrew Garfield), who is also up for tenure, and Alma’s star PhD student Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri). After the party, Maggie accuses a drunken Hank of sexual assault after he walks her home. Alma finds herself caught between loyalty to her friend and colleague, her own desire for academic tenure and her obligation as mentor to Maggie. Meanwhile, Alma’s own secrets—her illness and a youthful relationship situation that occurred as a teenager—begin to surface.
What follows is an intriguing and quite gripping drama about a series of flawed characters who may or may not make, depending on your viewpoint, good, bad, or terrible decisions. The acting is absorbing from the ensemble led by Roberts, with Stuhlbarg and Chloe Sevigny being the resident scene stealers. I frequently found myself drawn into the story as it navigates socially and culturally challenging situations, notably the “she said-he said” assault accusation and aftermath. However, the screenplay occasionally falters, particularly in its middle act. Thus despite the thematic suspense the plot omission such as a lack of criminal enquiry, plus the moment in which Garfield’s character is abruptly dismissed without any formal inquiry undercuts the film’s credibility and emotional momentum. For a story concerned with systems of accountability and institutional procedure, this narrative oversight was difficult for me to overlook.
Even so, After the Hunt (2025) remains an engrossing and well-crafted drama that showcases Guadagnino’s continuing fascination with human pride, weakness and moral ambiguity. Adroitly, there are a number of cheeky nods to cancel culture with the Woody Allen font-style credits and Morrissey / The Smiths songs featuring on the soundtrack. Yet, overall, and perhaps due to a lack of a cathartic ending, the story may have worked better as a stage play. Ultimately, it may not wield the same searing power as Doubt (2008) or Tár (2022), but it stands as another testament to Guadagnino’s skill as a go-to director for mature, provocative, and emotionally intelligent cinema.
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