Julia Roberts shuts down #MeToo backlash in Venice

Julia Roberts defended ‘After the Hunt’ in Venice, saying films should spark debate not silence difficult truths.

Julia Roberts took centre stage at the Venice Film Festival when she defended Luca Guadagnino’s new film After the Hunt during a charged press conference. The Oscar-winning actress faced direct questions about the project’s themes surrounding #MeToo, cancel culture, and the tension between personal accountability and professional power.

In the thriller, Roberts plays a respected college professor who finds her world unravelled when her mentee, portrayed by Ayo Edebiri, accuses a colleague, played by Andrew Garfield, of misconduct. The story examines shifting dynamics within academia and the difficulty of confronting uncomfortable truths. While some festivalgoers argued the film revives old debates around believing survivors, Roberts insisted that stirring debate was central to its intent.

“Not to be disagreeable, because it’s not in my nature, but the thing you said that I love is it revives old arguments,” Roberts said with a smile. “The best part of your question is that you all came out of the theatre talking about it. That’s how we wanted it to feel.”

She stressed that the film is not about making statements but about provoking discussion. “We’re not making statements; we are portraying these people in this moment in time,” Roberts explained. “If making this movie does anything, getting everybody to talk to each other is the most exciting thing that I think we could accomplish.” She also lamented what she sees as a wider cultural issue, saying society is “losing the art of conversation in humanity right now.”

Guadagnino echoed her sentiment, describing the film as an exploration of clashing truths rather than a manifesto. The project plays out of competition at Venice, alongside premieres from Yorgos Lanthimos, George Clooney, Kathryn Bigelow and Dwayne Johnson.

Despite the tense moments, Roberts brought levity when she encouraged her castmates to open their canned water in unison to avoid disrupting the conference. Garfield joined in the joke, quipping that it was typical of working with Roberts.

The exchange ensured After the Hunt became one of the festival’s most talked-about films even before its red-carpet premiere, highlighting Roberts’ enduring power to steer both conversation and controversy.