Has cancel culture gone too far? Does it even work? Has it been weaponized to silence and exile those deemed unsuitable for their positions without a chance of defense? 

These questions and more sit at the heart of Luca Guadagnino’s newest thriller, “After The Hunt.” 

The film’s opening follows a husband and wife’s typical morning routine, soundtracked only by a persistent tick-tocking tone that unnerves the viewer and evokes a sense of mounting tension, like a bomb soon set to blow. 

That bomb eventually does go off, threatening to derail the lives of our three main characters. 

Our primary character is Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts) a professor of philosophy who is close to gaining tenure, a self described ‘brass ring’ that she has been chasing for the majority of her adult life. 

Hank Gibson (Andrew Garfield) is a fellow professor of philosophy, equally driven in his pursuit of tenure. Hank and Alma are quite close friends, giving off the impression that they may have been more in the past. 

Maggie Price (Ayo Edebiri) is a PhD student of both Alma and Hank, the resident zoomer who corrects Alma’s pronoun usage and pushes back on Hank’s lamenting of how soft the world has become. 

These generational differences are utilized throughout the film to great effect, digging deep into why we reach the conclusions that we do and how our upbringings and communities inform those same conclusions. 

The film truly kicks into another gear when Maggie shows up at Alma’s door with the news of her alleged sexual assault at the hands of no other than Hank, leaving Alma in a difficult position. 

She must juggle her obligation to her student with her friendship to Hank, her duties as a fellow woman in a male dominated field and department all while her own life descends into chaos from a secret that she hoped would remain buried forever. 

Intense, uncomfortable and thrilling, “After The Hunt” is a contemporary effort that explores a post #MeToo world and its lingering effects on the truth and if the truth even exists when those involved are certain of their perspective and only their perspective. 

For fans of Guadagnino, Julia Roberts and contemporary psychodramas there is plenty to love with this film. 

Some viewers may knock the film for being slow or plodding, but the film’s score, cinematography and performances overshadow any noticeable lulls or low points. 

Sure to start conversations and spawn no small amount of think pieces, “After The Hunt” is a great film that covers subject matter that is of far more intrigue than the sum of its parts. 

Official Score: 8/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment