After the Hunt (2025) – Almost Quit at 30 Minutes, But the Accusation Drama Kept Me Going

After the Hunt (2025), directed by Luca Guadagnino, had me on the edge of hitting stop after the first 30 minutes—too much endless talk, super slow pace, and dialogues that felt pointless and distracting. I was bored out of my mind and thought this might be the first movie this year I straight-up abandon. But I pushed through, and once the rape accusation hit, it hooked me just enough to wonder who was lying: the student Maggie or Professor Hank? Julia Roberts as the professor caught in the middle added that spark. Mixed bag overall—solid acting saves it from being a total drag. 6/10 for me.

Starring Julia Roberts as Alma Imhoff, Andrew Garfield as the accused Hank Gibson, Ayo Edebiri as the accuser Maggie Resnick, and Michael Stuhlbarg as her husband Frederik, this 2-hour-18-minute psychological drama dives into university scandals, secrets, and moral messes. Let's break down why it almost lost me but didn't quite.

The Plot: Slow University Chit-Chat Turns into a Tense He-Said-She-Said

Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts) is a respected Yale philosophy professor on the verge of tenure, surrounded by her tight-knit academic world: her psychiatrist husband Frederik (Michael Stuhlbarg), her close colleague and friend Hank (Andrew Garfield), and her star student protégée Maggie (Ayo Edebiri). Everything's cozy—until Maggie drops a bombshell accusation: Hank raped her.

Suddenly, Alma's stuck navigating the fallout: supporting her friend or her student? Whose story holds up? And as the investigation drags, Alma's own dark secret from her past—a teenage statutory rape situation—starts bubbling up, threatening to tank her career. The film spends a ton of time on campus life, ethics debates, and awkward dinners, building to that late twist around the 1:30 mark. It's all about doubt, power dynamics, and how accusations shatter everything. No big spoilers, but it leaves you guessing right to the end.

What Worked (The Acting and That One Killer Scene)

The performances are the movie's lifeline. Julia Roberts is good as the poised-but-cracking Alma, Andrew Garfield nails the charming-but-suspicious Hank, and Ayo Edebiri brings real fire to Maggie. But honestly, Michael Stuhlbarg as Frederik stole every scene he was in—he's sharp, funny, and the emotional anchor that kept me invested.

One scene that totally pulled me in: Alma loses it on her students during a philosophy class discussion about "The Others." As a former university person myself, that raw anger and realness hit home hard. It captured the pretentious bubble of academia perfectly—debating big ideas while ignoring the mess right in front of you.

The Ugly Truth Behind the Ivory Tower

What I really liked was how the movie peels back the curtain on university life that outsiders never see. These professors preaching ethics, morality, and philosophy? Behind closed doors, they're lying, cheating, stealing, betraying—just like everyone else. It's hypocritical and eye-opening, especially in the #MeToo era where accusations can destroy lives before any proof. The film doesn't pick sides; it just shows the chaos and makes you question everything. That psychological tension, once it kicks in, is the spark that saved the watch for me.

What Drove Me Nuts (And Almost Made Me Bail)

Man, the pacing is glacial. Those early talky scenes drag forever—2+ hours of unnecessary long shots, pointless chit-chat, and dialogues that go nowhere. I get it's trying to build atmosphere, but it just feels bloated and boring. And that "dark secret from her past"? Buried until the last 30 minutes! If you're not into slow-burn academic drama, you'll check out fast. Only a small crowd—ex-university folks or philosophy nerds—might vibe with all the campus navel-gazing.

Ratings and Critical Reception

• IMDb: 5.9/10 (11,000 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes: 37% critics (213 reviews) / 38% audience (250+ ratings)
• Metacritic: 52/100 (mixed or average)
• Box office: ~$9.3 million worldwide on a $70–80 million budget (major flop)

Critics are split but mostly meh—praise for the acting (especially Roberts and Garfield) but slams for the muddled plot, slow pace, and overwrought script. Audiences aren't loving it either; feels like a missed opportunity with a killer cast. My 6/10 lines up—talent carries it, but the execution bogs it down.

A Middling Mind-Twister for Fans of Campus Scandals

At 6/10, After the Hunt is worth sticking out if you can survive the slog for the accusation drama and strong performances. It's got that Guadagnino vibe of uncomfortable truths and blurred lines, but the slow burn might extinguish your patience. Dive in if you're into ethical dilemmas and university hypocrisy; skip if you want actual thrills.

For me, it was a reminder that even big stars and directors can't save a story that takes forever to get going. Almost a DNF, but glad I finished.

What did you think of After the Hunt? Did the slow start kill it for you, or did the twisty accusations hook you? Spill in the comments—I wanna hear if I'm alone in almost quitting!

And the big ask: suggest my next movie review. After this talky mess, I'm craving fast-paced thrillers or something light and fun. Your picks?

If this review helped you decide (or warned you off), like, follow, and share. Thanks for reading—catch you in the next one!