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.

"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.

"The best part of your question is that you all came out of the theater talking about it," she continued in her response to the journalist. "That's how we wanted it to feel. You realize what you believe in strongly because we stir it all up for you. So, you're welcome."

The movie, which also stars Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny, was directed by Luca Guadagnino, the celebrated Italian filmmaker behind "Call Me By Your Name" and "Challengers."

Sexual misconduct – always a hot topic in Hollywood but more so in the wake of the massive #MeToo movement, sparked in part by the public accusations by dozens of women against embattled producer Harvey Weinstein – takes center stage in the movie. While Guadagnino has cast the film as an honest look at people's inner conflicts, some critics have derided the script for creating a false equivalence between the narratives.

"We're not making statements; we are portraying these people in this moment in time," Roberts added at the news conference, per Variety. "I don't know about controversy, per se, but we are challenging people to have conversation. To be excited or infuriated about it is up to you. If making this movie does anything, getting everybody to talk to each other is the most exciting thing that I think we could accomplish.

"I love the softball questions early in the morning," she added in jest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Julia Roberts' latest movie is stirring controversy. She argues that's a good thing

Reporting by Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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