The use of ambiguity in art can enhance a story, especially one told within a genre, as it makes the drama feel that much more real, or at least possible. That's because ambiguity in real life is much less compelling. The ambiguous nature of a plot or characters in a film can lead to daydreaming about various theories and interpretations. But ambiguity in real life often leads to frustration, if not anxiety or fear, because the stakes are real.

In his latest film, "After the Hunt," director Luca Guadagnino does something which feels novel, if not groundbreaking. He loads the movie with ambiguity, soaking each and every scene in it. Yet this isn't an experimental or surrealist film along the lines of David Lynch, nor is it a horror movie by Osgood Perkins, where the ambiguity hovers over the proceedings like a magic spell. Instead, the ambiguity of "After the Hunt" feels like a wooden splinter shoved somewhere beneath your skin, where the pain is aching dully throughout but can never be pinpointed or extracted. It makes the movie an experience which isn't immediately satisfying, not even to those of us freaks who adore barbed satire and messy social dramas.

Crucially, however, "After the Hunt" is as compelling as it is uncomfortable, and its accomplished ensemble cast ensured that I never wanted to look away. "After the Hunt" is a movie that pointedly provides no answers to the myriad issues it raises. However, it does feel like Guadagnino puts as much material in front of us as we need to go on our own hunt for meaning and truth. It's this experiential element that keeps the film from being a confused dud.