Director Luca Guadagnino continues his exploration of desire and love’s complex impact on human relationships with After the Hunt. Following the intense narratives in Challengers and Queer, Guadagnino dives into the intricate dynamics among his characters, this time focusing on a pyramid of longing filled with tension and resentment.
In Challengers, Guadagnino portrayed a twisted love triangle so complex that Zendaya, the lead actress, felt audiences needed to watch it twice to fully grasp the character interplay. Queer featured Daniel Craig as a frantic, sometimes pitiful obsessive, enamored with a younger man unable to handle such intensity.
After the Hunt shifts away from high-stakes settings like sports or spiritual journeys. Instead, the story layers desire and resentment within a pyramid of longing between the central characters, creating a tense emotional landscape.
The film premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August but received mixed to negative reviews. It holds a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, marking it as the director's lowest-rated film to date.
"With Challengers, Guadagnino presented a love triangle so twisted that leading lady Zendaya insisted audiences needed to see the movie twice to get a proper feel for all the character dynamics."
"The film currently sits with a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest score for a Guadagnino-directed film."
Author's summary: Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt deepens his thematic focus on desire and complex relationships, though its reception remains notably mixed compared to his previous work.