Psychological thriller After the Hunt will make you uncomfortable – that’s the point

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After the Hunt spoilers follow.

From discussions about social justice and gender roles to the complexities of modern relationships, recent films haven’t avoided tackling controversial issues. Luca Guadagnino’s *After the Hunt*, featuring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, and Andrew Garfield, is a prime example. The movie doesn’t offer easy answers, but instead encourages viewers to form their own opinions.

In the film, Roberts and Garfield star as Alma and Hank, both philosophy professors at Yale competing for a permanent position. The situation gets complicated when Hank starts flirting with Alma, who is married to Frederik (Michael Stuhlbarg). Adding to the mix is Maggie (Edebiri), Alma’s top student, who seems to have a possible romantic interest in her professor.

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Okay, so things were pretty normal until this party at Alma’s place got a little crazy. Maggie was super upset and told Alma that Hank had really crossed a boundary – apparently he walked her home and then asked if he could come in for a drink. But Alma didn’t react how Maggie expected. She wasn’t totally on Maggie’s side, which was a shock. It felt like Alma needed concrete proof, and honestly, her own feelings about Hank, and even how she thinks women *should* handle situations like this, were getting in the way. It was a really awkward moment, and honestly, a bit frustrating to watch.

The novel *After the Hunt* quickly establishes its central themes. Early on, one of Alma’s students suggests she’s more likely to receive a permanent position than Hank, simply because there’s a current trend of favoring women in academia.

Maggie’s doctoral research focuses on virtue ethics – how people judge morality based on outward displays of good character. This leads into the complex philosophical questions of right versus wrong, truthfulness, and responsibility – all themes that the movie explores at its core.

Labeling *After the Hunt* simply as a #MeToo ‘he said/she said’ story doesn’t fully capture its depth. While it’s a psychological thriller dealing with consent, assault, and power dynamics, it also thoughtfully explores who truly has power and the differing perspectives between generations of feminists.

Maggie is a Black, queer student at Yale, a predominantly white and traditionally-minded university. She reports being assaulted by a professor, which is a serious violation of professional ethics and an abuse of power. However, Maggie comes from a wealthy family who are major donors to the university, and some, like Hank, believe she’s falsely claiming assault to damage the career of a professor she dislikes.

Alma is a seasoned professional, but people assume she’s getting a promotion simply because she’s a woman. The film later reveals she has also experienced discrimination and harassment.

Rather than encouraging Maggie to report Hank’s behavior, Alma tries to lower her expectations and appears reluctant to discuss what happened. It seems Alma believes Maggie should overcome challenges the same way she did, and isn’t inclined to make things easier for younger women.

Alma consistently uses the wrong pronouns for Maggie’s non-binary partner, angrily scolds a student for asking about the idea of being an outsider, and tells Maggie that she shouldn’t expect everything to be easy or pleasant.

Honestly, I’m getting annoyed by all this complaining about Gen Z being ‘woke’. This woman is seriously criticizing someone for using trigger warnings, and then nitpicking their relationship and the fact they live in an affordable apartment – like it’s all just a performance to seem cool. It feels so judgmental and out of touch.

Is Alma completely off base? When it comes to Maggie’s understanding of herself, likely not. The story *After the Hunt* features complicated characters with conflicting traits. Alma has trouble reconciling Hank’s roles as a respected figure and an abuser, a friend and a predator. Similarly, Maggie experiences oppression due to her race and sexuality, but also benefits from a degree of privilege because of her wealth. While Alma identifies as a feminist, she struggles to truly understand the experiences of younger people.

In an interview with Digital Spy, Ayo Edebiri explained that her show, *After the Hunt*, holds up a mirror to uncomfortable truths. She believes art should reflect experiences back to both the creators and the audience, even if those reflections aren’t always pleasant or easy to confront.

Garfield observed that while it’s challenging for society as a whole to acknowledge multiple perspectives, it *is* possible. He believes small, personal communities – like justice circles – create spaces where people can support each other through complexity and difficult emotions, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of truth.

The story concludes with Maggie and Alma reconnecting years later, both appearing content, though it’s unclear if their happiness is genuine. Maggie didn’t suffer career consequences for speaking out about the assault, despite Alma’s fears. And Alma, even after getting caught forging prescriptions, didn’t lose everything. This raises the question: who truly came out ahead, and who received the outcome they deserved?

The film *After the Hunt* doesn’t preach a specific lesson or try to tell you what to think. Instead, it lets the audience draw their own conclusions, which is a good approach.

After the Hunt is out now in cinemas.

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2025-10-17 19:20