After The Hunt (2025)
There is always a difference in being disappointed with a directors work who you have fond appreciation for, when they release a film that is completely separated from their previous work. Fully self-serious that it ends up loosing itself in the storytelling and meaning that its trying to delve into and actually topics that are so sensitive and delicate to cover, it actually doesn't say anything and is too scared to even give any meaning. Luca Guadagnino has usually made films that thrives in the silence and tension, understands how to make space between characters that feels dangerous and builds to a boiling point. After The Hunt tries to build the tension and has the silence, but ultimately leads to being underwhelming due to the plot and meaning having zero substance.
This is a film that tries to delve into plenty of different topics and themes such as positions of power, academic superiority and growth as well as accusations, Guadagnino’s creation tries to ask questions that will make you feel uncomfortable, make you hate certain characters and show ambiguity within this. Throughout this I found myself interested in plenty of sequences and moments that hook you in, make you feel as if its going deeper into a topic, just for it to fall flat and lead to nothing. It hovers over important questions in society and just meanders on the grey zone of certain aspects of morality. I find it weird that this plot makes you feel bad for the evil characters as times, we should not be in this grey zone with people who have committed heinous crimes. Neutrality in films does not mean that the film has depth or meaning, it shows how scared the director is to even create a meaningful project.
Luca Guadagnino’s usual direction is just not present in this film. The usual beautiful cinematography and direction just feels like a shell of itself here. The colours are extremely dull. Every scene in this is dark and poorly lit, I understand its to try and match the tone of the film but it makes this very unwatchable to a point where this film to me isn’t artistic or an impressive creation. The conversations and moments in this film are extremely boring and feel long drawn out to a point where you sit their blankly at what is unfolding.
I do believe that the lead actors Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri do everything in their power to make their characters work, make the script they were given work, yet it doesn’t help the characters feel like real people. The characters are all speaking as if they are projecting themes and ideas rather than using that to develop characteristics and building blocks for their depth. The questions I have for Luca Guadagnino is why create this film, because when posing ideas and themes, why should we even care if we don’t give any thought to the characters. I felt like I hadn’t been given a reason to really bond with these character or even feel bad. This film is just a bunch of entitled folk doing awful things, why should I care.
I wanted it to be over as soon as I realised even the creation doesn’t know what it wanted to be. Great performances can’t even save lackluster scripts and filmography, and this is a perfect example. A underwhelming and disappointing flick that will leave no emotional or powerful mark on the industry that you can sense it wanted to be. I hope Luca Guadagnino takes his time in making his next project and actually thinks before he creates.