Julia Roberts returns to intense, thought-provoking cinema with the debut of After the Hunt at the New York Film Festival on September 26. The film, directed by Luca Guadagnino and released by Amazon MGM Studios, follows Maggie, a talented PhD candidate who accuses her professor of sexual misconduct, setting in motion a tense exploration of truth and loyalty. Roberts stars as Alma, a mentor caught between her allegiance to lifelong friend Hank and her moral uncertainty.
Exploring Deeply Layered Characters and Moral Ambiguity
The story centers on Alma, played by Roberts, who faces conflicting emotions as she navigates the fallout from the allegations against Hank, portrayed by Andrew Garfield. Garfield described his role as a challenge to understand the unconscious drives shaping his character’s actions.
“It’s fascinating to play with what’s conscious, what’s unconscious, in terms of what’s driving these people, what motives are hidden from ourselves,”
he remarked.
This duality reflects the film’s core tension as characters grapple with dark secrets and self-awareness. Garfield added that the narrative holds
“quite beautiful moments of reckoning, self reckoning, self revelation,”
moments framed by a “horrifying staring into the abyss” that the characters confront.
Michael Stuhlbarg and Ayo Edebiri Contribute to Unsettling Atmosphere
Michael Stuhlbarg plays Alma’s husband, a psychiatrist whose perspective on human vulnerability adds depth to the story. He described the viewing experience as
“like watching a slow-motion train wreck,”
highlighting the film’s disquieting and unpredictable nature.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you feel something’s coming,”
Stuhlbarg reflected.
He emphasized the layered complexity of the screenplay and performances, saying,
“There’s many layers to this gorgeous text and to these extraordinary performers, and you kind of throw yourself into it to pull out what you think is going to be useful.”
Ayo Edebiri, who plays Maggie, underscored the importance of early rehearsals at Roberts’ home, which created a safe environment to delve deeply into the narrative’s shades. This preparation nurtured the cast’s connection to the story’s emotional challenges.
Julia Roberts Highlights Ambiguity and the Role of Music in the Film
Roberts stressed that the screenplay’s lack of clear-cut answers is intentional, describing it as a strength rather than a flaw. She pointed out the repeated presence of a particular song, played seven times throughout the film, which revolves around the theme of forgiveness.
“I think that Luca always felt that this beautiful story that [screenwriter] Nora [Garrett] wrote us was about love and forgiveness and trying to understand who we really are deep inside of ourselves and why we posture and do the things that we do,”
Roberts explained.
After the Hunt’s Anticipated Release and Cultural Relevance
After the Hunt opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on October 10, before broadening to a nationwide release on October 17. The film dives into the complexities of academic power dynamics, hidden motives, and the ambiguous pursuit of justice, promising a gripping, unsettling experience that challenges audiences to face uncomfortable truths. With a cast led by Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, and Michael Stuhlbarg, and the visionary direction of Luca Guadagnino, it stands out as a tense psychological thriller that refuses easy answers while exploring human frailty and the search for forgiveness.
