Could Julia Roberts win her second Oscar with ‘After the Hunt’?

Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts seemingly takes on a straightforward role as a philosophy professor in After the Hunt, until her student accuses a colleague of sexual assault.

Roberts hasn’t been a frequent presence on the silver screen in recent years. Her last project was Leave the World Behind in 2023; before that came her tropical rom-com with George Clooney, Ticket to Paradise (2022); and back in 2018, she starred in Ben Is Back.

Yet, watching After the Hunt makes it clear why the Academy Award winner chose this project; it could well pave her path to a second Oscar.

In Luca Guadagnino’s latest campus drama, the Pretty Woman star is effortlessly its strongest force. Roberts dominates nearly the entire runtime, commanding the screen as the anchor holding together the film’s storm of tension and controversy. It’s the kind of powerhouse role designed for awards season, and in her hands, it feels inevitable.

As Alma, a Yale philosophy professor, Roberts strides across campus in a chic white suit that mirrors her blonde hair and aura of authority. Admired by all, Alma exerts power over her husband Frederik, sparring colleague Hank, and her favourite PhD student Maggie, whose adoration borders on worship, cementing Alma as the film’s magnetic centre.

When tenure looms for either Alma or Hank, scandal erupts: Maggie accuses Hank of misconduct. Alma sympathises but remains conflicted—torn between loyalty, ambition, and blurred party-night boundaries.

After the Hunt tackles issues Hollywood often sidesteps, feminism, cancel culture, identity politics, and the generational divide.

It’s a tantalising watch: not only engaging but also sharp, layered, and cleverly constructed, pulling viewers deep into its drama while reminding them why Roberts is still one of cinema’s most commanding forces.

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