5 Minutes
Venice moment: an emotional premiere
Julia Roberts was visibly moved as Luca Guadagnino’s latest drama, After the Hunt, premiered on the Lido to a six-minute standing ovation. The Amazon MGM Studios release brought fans and critics to their feet in Venice’s packed Sala Grande: Roberts wiped away tears, blew kisses to the crowd and embraced Guadagnino and co-stars Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield. The scene — equal parts celebration and catharsis — quickly became one of the festival’s most talked-about moments.
What After the Hunt is about
In After the Hunt, Roberts plays Alma Olsson, a revered Ivy League professor who finds herself confronting a hidden past after one of her protégés accuses a colleague of inappropriate conduct. Andrew Garfield portrays Henrik "Hank" Gibson, a colleague whose role complicates campus loyalties, while Ayo Edebiri (fresh from her breakout success on TV) plays Maggie Price, the student at the center of the allegation. The film’s R rating underscores its unflinching look at power, secrecy and reputation.
Festival buzz and controversy
The film prompted a heated press conference in Venice, with questions about how it addresses #MeToo, cancel culture and institutional accountability. Roberts responded by insisting the film aims to provoke conversation rather than to stoke controversy: "We’re not making statements; we are portraying these people in this moment in time," she said, urging audiences to engage with the material through dialogue instead of decisive moralizing.
Red carpet energy and fan reactions
Before the screening, Guadagnino and Roberts paused to sign autographs on the red carpet as fans cheered "Julia!" and "Luca!" Garfield — in a sharp blue suit and freshly-shaven — posed for selfies and soaked up the crowd’s enthusiasm. Edebiri, who also became emotional, shared the spotlight in a night that blended star power with genuine audience response.
Comparisons and the director’s trajectory
After the Hunt sits at an intersection between Guadagnino’s trademark intensity and socially charged drama. Fans familiar with his work will recognize the director’s visual sensuality from I Am Love and the emotional brutality of Bones and All, but the film’s public-conversation focus aligns it more closely with recent cinema that interrogates institutional power — think The Assistant (2019) rather than Guadagnino’s romantic or horror-tinged projects. The result is a hybrid: Guadagnino’s aesthetic polish meets a topical, conversation-driven script by first-time feature writer Nora Garrett.
Cast, crew and trivia
Supporting performances come from Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny, both Guadagnino regulars, while producers include Guadagnino, Brian Grazer and Jeb Brody. Notably, Nora Garrett makes her feature screenwriting debut, and the film’s Venice reception follows Guadagnino’s recent festival history — his last premiere, Queer, earned a nine-minute ovation. Bones and All won him the Silver Lion for Best Direction, underscoring his long-running relationship with the festival.
Industry context and distribution
After the Hunt’s high-profile Venice debut reflects a broader trend: prestige filmmakers and major streamers continue to use festivals as launchpads for conversation-driven dramas that straddle theatrical and streaming models. Amazon MGM’s theatrical rollout — opening in New York and L.A. before expanding wide — aims to capitalize on awards season momentum and word-of-mouth from festivals like Venice.
Expert perspective
"Guadagnino has a talent for turning interior conflict into cinematic spectacle," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "After the Hunt deepens his recurring themes of desire and consequence while inviting public debate — it’s cinema that demands to be discussed, not merely consumed."
Critical outlook and audience response
Early reactions split between admiration for the performances and debate over the film’s framing of accountability. Where some praise its nuance and Roberts’s layered portrayal, others question whether a narrative so close to contemporary controversies can remain neutral. That friction is precisely what Guadagnino appears to aim for: a film that functions both as artful storytelling and as a cultural mirror.
Conclusion: why After the Hunt matters
After the Hunt is more than a festival triumph; it’s a conversation starter. With powerhouse performances, a bold director’s vision and a script that refuses tidy answers, the film arrives at a moment when audiences crave storytelling that reflects social complexity. Whether you leave the theater inspired or provoked, Guadagnino and his cast have delivered cinema that insists on being talked about — in living rooms, classrooms and critics’ columns alike.
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