Ever wonder what happens when a star’s brilliance gets overshadowed? Luca Guadagnino’s ‘After the Hunt’ promised much with Julia Roberts, but critics are calling it a pretentious bore. Dive into our review to find out why this drama just couldn’t spark, and tell us: what’s your take on films that don’t live up to the hype?
Luca Guadagnino’s latest dramatic offering, ‘After the Hunt,’ arrives with significant anticipation, primarily due to the star power of Julia Roberts. However, the film tragically squanders this invaluable talent, delivering a cinematic experience described by critics as a pretentious bore that fails to ignite the screen, leaving audiences with a pervasive sense of disappointment in its narrative ambition.
Despite the visually arresting cinematography by Malik Hassan Sayeed, which paints the settings with an elegant, hallowed-halls-of-the-Ivy-League aesthetic, the film’s beauty is merely skin-deep. This sophisticated veneer cannot compensate for the profound lack of vitality within its central performances, particularly from its celebrated lead, Julia Roberts, whose characteristic vibrancy is conspicuously absent.
Roberts, typically a commanding and charismatic presence, appears consistently trapped and perpetually pained throughout the production. Her portrayal involves constant physical expressions of discomfort and internal struggle, shifting from clutching her stomach to furrowing her brow in an attempt to decipher the motivations of those around her, ultimately resulting in a performance that feels muted and underutilized.
While intended as a ‘serious role,’ the part lacks the necessary depth and challenge required to engage an actress of Roberts’ caliber. The creative decision to cast such a dynamic performer only to systematically drain all life and spark from her character remains a perplexing artistic choice, diminishing her natural effervescence and leaving her character feeling hollow.
The narrative shortcomings extend to the interactions between Roberts and co-star Ayo Edebiri, whose scenes are particularly described as drab and circuitous. Edebiri’s character, too, feels conceptually drained of life, characterized by stammering, stuttering, wheedling, begging, threatening, and demanding, without ever truly conveying a discernible sense of her inner self or genuine emotional landscape.
Edebiri’s character complexities, superficially explored, are among the most overt elements presented: she is highly privileged, yet also identifies as gay and Black. The film attempts to portray how she might wield any of these factors as a weapon, but these potentially fascinating conflicts are explored in a haphazard and underdeveloped manner, failing to deliver insightful social commentary or character depth.
Further contributing to the film’s perceived incoherence is an inexplicably chaotic scene involving Stuhlbarg’s Frederik. His character storms in and out of the kitchen with unexplained anger, blasting music at an unlistenable volume, entirely disrupting a serious conversation between Alma and Maggie, a guest. This sequence underscores the dramatic inconsistencies and overall narrative disarray that plague the production.
Ultimately, ‘After the Hunt’ stands as a profound cinematic disappointment, particularly for fans of thoughtful dramas and powerful performances. The film’s pretense overshadows its potential, resulting in a watch that feels more like a chore than an engaging artistic endeavor, underscoring the critical importance of cohesive storytelling and character development.
