Julia Roberts’ ‘After the Hunt’ Sparks Venice #MeToo Debate/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Julia Roberts’ new film After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino, ignited a #MeToo debate at the Venice Film Festival. The movie tackles academic misconduct accusations without clear answers, provoking questions about feminism, complicity, and truth. Guadagnino and Roberts emphasized conversation, not conclusions, as the film’s purpose.
After the Hunt Quick Looks
- Julia Roberts plays a philosophy professor caught in an academic misconduct scandal
- Film centers on Ayo Edebiri accusing Andrew Garfield’s character of crossing boundaries
- Reporter asked if movie undermines the #MeToo movement
- Roberts: film aims to spark dialogue, not give answers
- Guadagnino: “It’s about the clash of truths, not manifestos”
- Poster tagline: “Not everything is supposed to make you feel comfortable”
- Opening credits use Woody Allen-inspired font, sparking further questions
- Film premieres at Venice Film Festival but not in competition
- Amazon MGM Studios will release it in North America Oct. 10
- Venice lineup also includes Guillermo del Toro, Kathryn Bigelow, Benny Safdie
Deep Look: Julia Roberts’ ‘After the Hunt‘ Fuels Conversation on Feminism and #MeToo at Venice
VENICE, Italy — August 29, 2025 — Julia Roberts returned to the Venice Film Festival on Friday, headlining the world premiere of After the Hunt, a drama directed by Luca Guadagnino that has already ignited heated discussions about feminism, truth, and complicity in the age of #MeToo.
The film, written by Nora Garrett, is set in academia. Roberts plays a widely respected philosophy professor whose mentee (Ayo Edebiri) accuses her colleague and close friend (Andrew Garfield) of misconduct. Instead of clear resolutions, the story thrives in moral ambiguity.
At a press conference, one journalist asked Roberts whether the movie risked undermining the feminist progress achieved through #MeToo. Roberts pushed back gently:
“I don’t necessarily think it revives an old argument of women being pitted against one another,” she said.
For Roberts, the film’s purpose lies in the conversations it provokes, not in prescribing answers. She noted the film’s tagline — “not everything is supposed to make you feel comfortable.”
“That’s how we wanted it to feel,” Roberts added. “Everyone comes out with different emotions and convictions. That’s the most exciting thing we could accomplish.”
Guadagnino on Truth, Dialogue, and Woody Allen Nod
Guadagnino, who has become a festival regular, framed the movie as an exploration of conflicting perspectives rather than a cultural manifesto.
“It’s about how we see the clash of truths,” he explained. “It’s not about reviving old-fashioned values.”
Interestingly, the film’s opening credits borrow a Windsor-style typeface, famously used by Woody Allen in Annie Hall and other films. Asked about the choice, Guadagnino initially quipped, “Why not?” but later described it as an intentional nod to Allen’s complicated legacy.
“We thought about the oeuvre of Woody Allen in the 1980s and 1990s. He faced questions about his being. It made us think: what’s our responsibility when working with art from someone controversial?”
Venice and Beyond
Though After the Hunt is not in competition for the Golden Lion, its premiere at Venice has already made it one of the festival’s most-discussed titles. Roberts, attending the festival for the first time despite having worked in Venice before, said she has been immersed solely in work:
“It’s so magical, but this time I haven’t done anything outside of work.”
Guadagnino, meanwhile, continues his streak of Venice appearances. Last year he brought Queer with Daniel Craig, and in 2023 his film Challengers with Zendaya was pulled due to Hollywood strikes.
Amazon MGM Studios will release After the Hunt in North American theaters on October 10.
The 82nd Venice Film Festival lineup is stacked, with Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite, and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine still to premiere.
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