After the Hunt Review: Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri Explore Sexual Politics
Director Luca Guadagnino continues to delve into the complex ways desire and love shape our perceptions with films like Challengers, Queer, and now After The Hunt. In Challengers, Guadagnino crafted a twisted love triangle that lead actress Zendaya said required viewers to watch the film twice to fully grasp the character dynamics.
In Queer, Daniel Craig portrayed a frantic, sometimes pitiful obsessive figure, enamored with an unremarkable younger man unable to handle such intensity or devotion. With After The Hunt, Guadagnino shifts away from the frenzy of tennis championships or intense experiences like an ayahuasca trip to focus on a more subtle but no less tense pyramid of longing filled with resentment among the central characters.
The film was met with mixed to negative reviews at its world premiere during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August.
Currently, After The Hunt holds a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, marking it as the lowest score for any Guadagnino-directed film to date.
Key Highlights
- Guadagnino’s ongoing exploration of desire’s impact on perception.
- Transition from highly charged emotional states in previous films to a complex pyramid of longing in After The Hunt.
- Mixed critical reception at a major film festival premiere.
Summary: Luca Guadagnino’s After The Hunt offers a nuanced take on longing and resentment but received mixed reviews, reflecting a shift from his more intense previous works.