Julia Roberts is hitting back against criticism of her latest film, "After the Hunt."
The movie, which premiered this week at the Venice Film Festival, has stoked controversy as some viewers wonder about its place in a post-#MeToo culture.
The film casts Roberts as a respected university professor who wrestles with professional and personal fallout when her mentee (Ayo Edebiri) alleges a male colleague (Andrew Garfield) behaved inappropriately. When pressed by journalists about whether the movie wrongfully casts doubt on the importance of believing female accusers, Roberts pushed back, arguing the psychological thriller was aimed at sparking difficult, but important conversations.
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"Not to be disagreeable, because it's not in my nature," Roberts said at a festival news conference, per Variety. "But the thing you said that I love is it 'revives old arguments.' I don't think it's just reviving an argument of women being pitted against each other or not supporting each other. There are a lot of old arguments that get rejuvenated that creates conversation.
