After the Hunt Movie Review

After the Hunt (2025)

Rent After the Hunt on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Nora Garrett
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.

Verdict
This starts with the blurred line between professors and students. How do you draw the line when they hang out socially? An allegation from a student affects several people. While you must believe and pursue all allegations, that puts Alma between a student and friend who both seek her support. The movie questions everyone's motives and their pasts make that murky. How do you navigate a situation that's serious for everyone involved?
It depends.

Review
Guadagnino's previous films include Challengers, Bones and All, and Call Me By Your Name.

This opens with college professors and students hanging out at Alma (Julia Roberts) and Frederick's (Michael Stuhlbarg) home. They debate philosophy and discuss tenure. Initially Alma and Hank (Andrew Garfield) seem like a couple, but he's her best friend. I wondered how two college professors could afford that house, but Frederick is a therapist. Her top student Maggie (Ayo Edebiri) is also at their house. Maggie has to use the bathroom and finds a hidden letter in the bathroom. I don't know why she'd open it. I'd leave it far away. Who knows what you might learn.

Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield play Alma, Hank

The next day Maggie comes to Alma and admits Hank assaulted her the previous night. Alma reacts poorly, questioning what happened. Hank later confronts Alma about what was said, trying to clear his name while he professes innocence. Hank claims he previously confronted Maggie about cheating and gave her a pass. When he discovered her thesis was plagiarized, Hank admits he went to Maggie's apartment hoping she'd admit it. He realizes that was a mistake. Maggie and Hank both want Alma's support. She's caught in the middle.

By default we doubt Hank and believe Maggie. He admits just enough without incriminating himself. If something did happen, he has all the reason to distort events. Even if she invited him in, he should know entering crosses a boundary. If an allegation is made, the school must investigate and treat it as legitimate.

Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield play Alma, Hank

Hanks is fired, which we assume means there's additional evidence or allegations. He causes a scene in Alma's classroom. Is he mad at the event or that he was caught and held responsible? We don't know what happened, only how people are reacting. We can only speculate at motivations. Maggie approaches Alma again. While Alma states she deserves restorative justice, Alma wonders if Maggie is seeking vengeance.

We discover that Alma has a past that influences her reactions to this situation. Maggie knows about it from the letter she discovered in the beginning. Maggie felt entitled to see the letter, and that angers Alma. It's a violation.

Alma confronts Maggie. We don't know if it's the stress of the situation, her debilitating physical condition, or that Maggie invaded her privacy. Alma questions Maggie's allegations and thesis. In turn, Maggie is part of an article that criticizes Yale and Alma's reaction to the allegations.

Ayo Edebiri, Julia Roberts play Maggie, Alma

We don't know what happened, but we watch as people cope with a situation. We can't believe both Maggie and Hank, but we have to assume Maggie is telling the truth and presume Hank is innocent. For Alma who is outside of the investigation, she doesn't know what to believe. Either answer destroys her trust in someone she knows. It's a murky situation where experiences can affect judgement.

Year later Alma and Maggie meet. They seem happy. Maggie questions whether Alma is truly happy. It seems like one last dig at Alma who published her own experiences after the incident. Maggie questions her veracity, but Maggie published her story first. Would she appreciate Alma questioning the integrity of her article?