There are actors who float through carpets like mannequins dipped in glitter, but Julia Roberts is not built for ornamental silence. She detonates culture with a smile, turning small talk into landmines. Sequins met scandals and birthed chaos as Roberts, Luca Guadagnino, and a Woody Allen font reference sat down in one press room to discuss After the Hunt, and suddenly glamour mutated into a cage fight of ideas. The film promised controversy; the room served it flaming.

As glamour and whispered controversies collided, Julia Roberts turned whispers into verbal fireworks, proving that stirring debate is far more entertaining than just smiling for the cameras.

At the Venice Film Festival, Julia Roberts addressed backlash against her new film After the Hunt, which tackles abuse allegations and the complexities of the #MeToo era. Some critics felt the movie “revives old arguments” about believing women, but Roberts insisted the goal was not a lecture; it was provocation. “You all came out of the theater talking about it. That is how we wanted it to feel. So, you are welcome,” she quipped.

Luca Guadagnino stoked another cultural bonfire by revealing that After the Hunt’s credits and themes were influenced by Woody Allen’s films. The director defended the choice during the press conference, explaining, “We couldn't stop thinking of Crimes and Misdemeanors,” while acknowledging Allen’s controversy. For some, the homage felt like cinematic necromancy: why resurrect ghosts that never rested? Yet Guadagnino argued that referencing Allen forced audiences to ask the forbidden: can art ever detach from its maker?

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As Guadagnino resurrects Allen and Roberts sparks debate, the drama behind the camera mirrors the one on screen, proving that controversy is sometimes the best plot twist.

After the Hunt is a psychological drama about a professor (Julia Roberts) tangled in a student’s (Ayo Edebiri) assault allegation against a colleague (Andrew Garfield) and a dark secret from her own past. The story plays less like a neat syllabus and more like a hall of mirrors, where every truth reflects another and silence screams louder than confession. Edebiri later called Roberts "toxic” after the shoot, proving that on-set tension can be just as cinematic as the film itself.

The movie split critics right down the Rotten Tomatoes, debuting with a 46% score. Alongside Julia Roberts, the cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny, and Lío Mehiel, with an October 10 release on the calendar. The poster tagline declares “not everything is supposed to make you feel comfortable,” which feels less like marketing and more like a dare. Venice proved that discomfort, after all, might just be the new standing ovation.

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What are your thoughts on Julia Roberts defending After the Hunt while Luca Guadagnino courts controversy with Woody Allen comparisons? Let us know in the comments below.