Every Track from After the Hunt: The Complete Soundtrack Guide

Luca Guadagnino’s much-discussed new film, After the Hunt, brings together Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, and Michael Stuhlbarg in a tense academic drama. The narrative centres on Alma, a philosophy lecturer at Yale, whose complicated ties with her colleague Hank and her mentee Maggie unravel after a troubling event, drawing Alma into the heart of the turmoil.

Soundtrack Choices and Musical Atmosphere

The film’s soundtrack is a bold blend, ranging from John Adams’ sweeping classical works to the art-pop stylings of Ambitious Lovers, and even a stirring track from Everything But The Girl. Experimental and avant-garde selections, such as those by Julius Eastman and Ligeti, mirror the film’s sense of disorder and ethical ambiguity. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross provide the original score, their understated piano motifs threading through the story’s emotional landscape.

Below is a rundown of the songs featured in After the Hunt:

• A Child Is Born – Tony Bennett & Bill Evans
• Let’s Walk – Mark Harelik, Victoria Clark & Adam Guettel
• Piano Concerto, II. Lento e deserto – György Ligeti & Pierre-Laurent Aimard
• After the Hunt, One – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
• Break With – Ryuichi Sakamoto
• Evil Ni**er – Julius Eastman, Frank Ferko, Janet Kattas & Patricia Martin
• Satta Massagana – The Abyssinians
• L’incontro – Piero Ciampi
• É Preciso Perdoar – Ambitious Lovers
• Solea – Miles Davis
• Terrible Love – The National
• Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – The Smiths
• The Death of Klinghoffer, Act II: Desert Chorus – John Adams, Kent Nagano, Opera de Lyon & London Opera Chorus
• City Noir: III. Boulevard Night – John Adams, St. Louis Symphony & David Robertson
• Lígia – Antônio Carlos Jobim
• Nothing Left to Lose – Everything but the Girl
• It’s Gonna Rain – Ambitious Lovers
• John Adams: The Death of Klinghoffer, Act II, “It is as if our earthly life were spent miserably” – Kent Nagano, The Opera De Lyon, The London Opera Chorus

Key Musical Moments

The opening credits are accompanied by Tony Bennett and Bill Evans’ gentle jazz ballad, A Child Is Born, which sets a quietly intimate mood as viewers are introduced to the main characters. The track’s understated warmth hints at deeper undercurrents beneath the surface of an otherwise civilised dinner party.

Following the guests’ departure, Let’s Walk from The Light in the Piazza underscores a revealing exchange between Alma and her husband Frederik. The song’s reflective tone mirrors the couple’s candid discussion about Alma’s relationships with Hank and Maggie, exposing the true nature of her connections.

Emotional Highs and Lows

Ligeti’s Piano Concerto, II. Lento e deserto provides a haunting backdrop to one of the film’s most charged scenes, as Maggie confides in Alma about her assault. The music’s hollow resonance amplifies the tension and discomfort as Alma struggles with her response. The same piece recurs as Maggie attempts to decipher a German newspaper clipping, deepening the sense of isolation.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s original composition, After the Hunt, One, is woven through a fraught conversation between Hank and Alma in a restaurant. The score, built around the theme of doubt, subtly underscores the shifting dynamics as Hank attempts to recast the narrative and justify his actions.

They brought me these extraordinary piano notes that underline the question of do we believe this person or not. This theme of doubt starts up in the first scene and keeps expanding.

Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Break With accompanies a pivotal moment when Maggie seeks Alma’s support in pursuing charges against Hank. The track’s introspective quality matches the uncertainty and vulnerability of the exchange, as Alma hesitates to offer the reassurance Maggie needs.

Climactic Confrontations and Final Notes

Julius Eastman’s Evil Ni**er surges during a heated classroom confrontation, as Hank lashes out at Maggie and Alma. The music’s relentless build heightens the emotional chaos, culminating in a rare moment of comfort between Alma and Maggie amidst the turmoil.

Other notable inclusions are The Abyssinians’ Satta Massagana, which plays as Alma quietly disposes of hidden mementos, and Piero Ciampi’s L’incontro, setting a fragile mood as Alma and Frederik await Maggie’s arrival. Ambitious Lovers’ É Preciso Perdoar and Miles Davis’s Solea further enrich the film’s emotional palette, each song carefully chosen to reflect the characters’ inner states.

During a night out, The National’s Terrible Love and The Smiths’ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now capture the uneasy camaraderie between Alma and Dr. Kim, as underlying tensions come to the fore. John Adams’ operatic and symphonic works, including The Death of Klinghoffer and City Noir, underscore moments of personal crisis and confrontation, while Antônio Carlos Jobim’s Lígia and Everything But the Girl’s Nothing Left to Lose provide a bittersweet coda as the story draws to a close.

For any missing tracks, the official soundtrack listing is available. After the Hunt is now available to stream on Prime Video.