At first, as she undergoes physical and mental rehabilitation, the only trauma she undergoes is what she’s told are the expected side effects of readjusting to our atmosphere: bouts of tinnitus and an occasional nosebleed. She also experiences “antigravity hallucinations” of floating objects, though fairly early on, first-time feature writer/director Jess Varley makes it clear these sights are not just in her head. In general, THE ASTRONAUT eschews the question of whether Sam is just imagining the unsettling events that distress her while she’s alone in that house. It’s not long before they lead her to believe that something may have hitched a ride back to our planet with her.

Varley (who has had small acting roles in OFFSEASON, TAKE BACK THE NIGHT, 2023’s NIGHT SHIFT and others, and contributed to the anthology PHOBIAS) builds some basic there’s-something-outside/inside-the-house tension into THE ASTRONAUT, and Mara does strong work in the title role. As Sam becomes bewildered and creeped out by what’s happening around her–and to her own body–the actress keeps us feeling for her. Sam’s desperation for answers is tempered by her knowledge that admitting something’s wrong will jeopardize her chances of selection for future missions–a simple and understandable motivation at first for not disclosing what’s happening to her.

Yet as the bizarre events escalate, and are witnessed by others, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe Sam’s reluctance to relocate. Nor does her undoubtedly significant scientific background come into play as the action heats up, and she’s reduced to simply running for her life through the bowels of the house. These and the movie’s other settings are shot with a great deal of atmosphere by DP Dave Garbett (EVIL DEAD RISE, ASH VS. EVIL DEAD), and it’s all backed by an effective, sometimes aggressive score by Jacques Brautbar. What’s missing for most of the running time is a sense that movie is about anything more than it appears on the surface, despite a few hints at themes of family. Both Izzy and Sam herself are revealed to be adoptees, the latter not surprising considering that her father, a general who oversaw her mission, is played by Laurence Fishburne.

THE ASTRONAUT does attempt to bestow deeper meaning upon the proceedings with a latecoming story twist, but unfortunately, it results in an abrupt tonal shift that throws the whole film out of whack. It really needed a whole additional act to fully explore this new idea; instead, it’s rushed through quickly, ending the movie at 81 minutes before the final credits and leaving a number of questions dangling. One leaves the movie wondering whether it got heavily pared down in the editing process, or it needed more preparation before the launch button was pushed.

Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt is the latest entry in a bizarre string of thought pieces, (see Apple TV’s The Morning Show), which appear to aim to explore the hypocrisy of cancel culture, pushing back against “#MeToo” and “woke” by asking one central question – “yeah but, did he really do it?”

At least, that’s what I think it was. Amidst the wooden dialogue, overblown runtime, senseless subplots and infuriating pretence of the thing, it was quite difficult to decipher a) what this film wanted to say, and b) whether it wanted to say anything at all.

The premise is admittedly strong, as is the cast. The central roles are occupied by Julia Roberts and Ayo Edebiri, with Andrew Garfield and Michael Stuhlbarg supporting. Roberts plays Alma Imhoff, a well-regarded Yale University philosophy professor and bastion of feminism, who is on track to secure tenure alongside her sleazebag stroke colleague stroke potential lover Hank, portrayed by Garfield. Edebiri plays Trumpian nightmare Maggie – a rich, ambitious black student whose mediocrity is mitigated by her too-close-for-comfort relationship with Roberts’ Alma. Stuhlbarg, on the other hand, is an infuriating sideshow as Roberts’ husband Frederik, whose over the top affection for his uninterested wife is a constant source of cringe, serving no purpose to the plot whatsoever. Following a boozy intellectual circle jerk, or “party,” at Frederik and Alma’s home, Maggie is walked back to her student apartment by aforementioned lothario Hank. She later appears on Alma’s doorstep, accusing Hank of ambiguous sexual misconduct – forcing Alma into a choice between her professional integrity and her relationship with Garfield, all grease-ball haircut and button-down Ralph Lauren shirts.

What unfolds could have been fascinating. The elements could have lent themselves to an intriguing exposition of class, the murky waters of academia, or the limits to which we are willing to go to do what is right. Quite obviously, there could also have been a discussion of what accusing somebody of sexual assault means, particularly somebody in power. There could have been an allusion to Edebiri’s bravery, a conversation about exploitation, or a reminder of how commonplace all of this really is. Unfortunately, there was absolutely none of that.

Instead, what is serves up is a self-flagellating mess. From a directorial standpoint, all we get are non-sensical close ups of character’s hands, and an imposing soundtrack which *ticks* persistently, presumably in order to create tension, despite the scenes unfolding being about as tense as an episode of Peppa Pig. The script is also unapologetically woeful. Presumably in an attempt to elevate the intellectualism of the exercise, scenes of Garfield, Roberts et al discussing philosophical concepts and writers are ceaselessly pigeonholed. These moments feel like hours. They are nonsensical, tedious, and do nothing other than relay to the viewer that the writers watched a Youtube video about Immanuel Kant the night previous. The dialogue throughout the film is suitably crass and uninventive, with the particular highlight in this regard undoubtedly belonging to a moment whereby, when confronted by Edebiri’s non-binary lover, Roberts’ Alma proudly states “They – go away.”

At its core, in a manner that seems to mirror Garfield’s Hank’s attempts to button his shirt, After the Hunt has absolutely no idea what it is trying to do. Any effort made to place Edebiri at the centre of the story is sidelined by a senseless side plot involving Alma’s unexplained health issues or her husband hanging bras in a bathroom. Any attempt to discuss the folly of student activism or the privilege of “today’s generation” is foiled by petulance from the forces behind the film, usually in the guise of intentionally misgendering non-binary characters or terming their college essays mediocre. Any attempt to say anything, literally anything at all, is drowned out by the aforementioned infuriating soundtrack or a repeated cut scene to Alma’s husband kissing her forehead while she is in bed. The entire thing is infuriatingly opaque, choppy, and as a result, unrelentingly disappointing.

I say disappointing not only because of the obvious quality of the cast or usual standards of the director, but because of what this After the Hunt represents. Throughout, the entire thing felt like an attempt to shine a light on the stupidity of the youth, the folly of the left and the ridiculous nature of cancel culture. Is such a discussion really necessary? Would it have killed the film to at any stage come out and say, yes, rape is bad? Is there any merit at all to villainising student protestors in a climate where they are expelled for speaking out about violence in Palestine, or threats to minorities? Surely the answer is no. Further, The whole vibe of the film was that it seemed to think its ideas were original. In reality, nobody contests that college students are privileged, nobody contests that students are idealistic, and nobody contests that the new generation fails to fetishise pain in the ways that the older one did. Does that mean it’s valid to make those points in a film that’s ostensibly about a college lecturer raping a student? Again, surely the answer is no.

The classlessness of this entire affair is summated by Guadagnino’s choice to pay homage to Woody Allen, a man accused of molesting his adopted daughter, in the film’s opening credits. There, Guadagnino borrows Allen’s font and lists the film’s actors in alphabetical order in Allen’s characteristic style. Taken at its very best, this is a satirical move which is not very funny. Taken at its worst, it is tipping the cap to somebody who is accused of molesting his own daughter in a film which is again, on its face about rape.

One joke that does land, however, is that a film critiquing the pretence of youth runs for nearly two and a half hours – and centers on a Yale philosophy professor, of all people, as its wronged man. Maybe it is for the best that this couldn’t say what it wanted to – what it did manage to splutter out was not all that interesting.

After the Hunt is in cinemas from Oct 17

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Synopsis

: A smooth-talking conman digs up a valuable diamond only to find his hiding spot transformed into a temple, forcing him to pose as a godman to retrieve his prize.Kambi Katna Kathai Movie Review: When your buried treasure becomes a place of worship, the logical next step is obviously to become a fake guru. Kambi Katna Kathai operates on this brand of logic-optional comedy, where Arivu (Natrajan Subramanian), a fast-talking scamster, steals the precious Kohinoor diamond and buries it in an empty field. Six months later, post-jail stint, he discovers his stash spot is now the Thoongum Thuravi temple. His solution? Transform into Arivanandha, a Himalayan godman, complete with devoted disciples recruited from local beggars.The setup has potential. Arivu’s rapid-fire con artistry, his double-dealing with corrupt MLA (Muthuramanan) and his aide Vetri (Mukesh Ravi), and the scramble to locate the missing diamond amid ashram politics creates a serviceable heist framework. Natrajan sells the fake confidence well, delivering his torrents of dialogue with convincing sleaze. The film truly felt alive when he reached his peak of sleaziness, as he wormed out of situations and became bolder in his scams. The comedic diversions just felt uninspired. Seeing a white foreign girl he’s tussling with during a robbery and then being all lovey-dovey with her as she tries to get tough with him? Does anyone find that funny?At two hours nineteen minutes, the film drags considerably, padding scenes with unnecessary romantic subplots involving Vetri and the MLA’s daughter Yazhini (Aarthi Shaalini), plus an out-of-work actress Sangamithra seeking refuge at the ashram. The comedy remains stubbornly hit-or-miss. Some bits land through sheer audacity, but most default to tired tropes of men fawning over women or loud, predictable gags. TSR, in particular, feels distractingly over-the-top. Two songs appear in the first half for no discernible reason other than obligation.Singam Puli’s jokes are funny at times, but he can be a bit much. Mukesh Ravi blends into the ensemble with little trouble. Kambi Katna Kathai coasts on familiar Tamil comedy territory without offering fresh angles, feeling somewhat like a Sundar C production stripped of glamour and polish. It avoids being outright cringeworthy, which counts for something, but rarely rises above passable weekend filler. For a film about digging up treasure, it never strikes gold.Written By:Abhinav Subramanian