After the Hunt

Alma (Roberts) sounds too good for the room. She knows she is a revered and respected professor at Yale. Her students hang on to every wise word. She is aloof and snobby, followed around by her smart, highly educated fans. Her best friend and colleague is fellow professor, Hank (Garfield). He’s arrogant, blunt, full of himself, and flirtatious, as well as insecure. You know from the get-go that he and Alma have had and still have a very close relationship, intellectually, but probably sexually as well. On top of that, they are friendly competitors, vying for tenure. 

Alma’s prize student Maggie (Ayo Edibiri) nervously follows her idol around, trying to be in her orbit as much as she can. The film starts with a casual but very esoteric discussion that seems to go on forever at a party. It’s hosted by Alma and her husband, Frederick, in their well-appointed University style house. Michael Stuhlbarger has fun with this role as the boisterous husband who caters to his intellectual queen by cooking splendiferous meals, blasts classical music, loving his wife but hating their snooty life. He is the one who always accurately reads the room.

Maggie does a little exploring when in the bathroom and finds a secret that becomes pertinent later. Hank walks Maggie home from the get-together, and you just know something bad is going to happen, but Guadagnino never shows it. Maggie, disturbed and devastated tells Alma that Hank stepped over the line. He assaulted her. The film becomes a painful slog as Hank denies the offense. Maggie discovered a secret from Alma’s life which comes to light. Conlict in Alma and Frederick’s relationship is also revealed. 

Good seeing Julia Roberts back on the big screen. But hard to watch the insecurities she, Garfield and Edebiri display in this #MeToo drama. Their significant performances fulfill Guadagnino’s mission; to make you, too, feel uncomfortable.

Amazon MGM Studios    2 hours 18 minutes    R