Cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed has never been one to shy away from emotional depth. From shaping the iconic visual language of Belly to the soul-stirring imagery of Lauryn Hill’s Ex-Factor, his work has always been about feeling, making the audience not just see the story, but feel it.
Now, with Luca Guadagnino’s latest film, After the Hunt, Sayeed brings that same mastery to a psychological drama that pushes both characters and viewers to confront uncomfortable truths.
Written by Nora Garrett and starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, and Andrew Garfield, After the Hunt explores the rippling effects of accusation, power, and accountability.
The story follows a college professor (Roberts) forced to confront her own past when a student (Edebiri) accuses a colleague (Garfield) of misconduct, setting off a chain reaction that tests every moral boundary.
For Sayeed, capturing that emotional tension meant finding balance between restraint and intensity.
“We always work towards trying to make the visual match the emotion of whatever we’re doing,” he explained in our exclusive interview, describing how his collaboration with Guadagnino is rooted in instinct rather than strict preplanning. “That starts with my initial reading of the script in terms of how I am visualizing it, but then that’s going to get affected by talking to Luca and understanding his approach to it. From there, we come up with a visual language based on how I implicitly am reacting to the material and how we’re reacting to it in real time once we’re shooting.”
Working with Guadagnino, known for his intuitive directing style, pushed Sayeed to embrace spontaneity:
“Luca is not someone who storyboards. He reacts to what he sees in the moment—in terms of performance. And this is how we cover the scene, based on what’s in front of us and how he’s reacting to what he sees. I’m lighting it based on that as well.”
That approach allows for a kind of cinematic honesty that mirrors the story itself, unpredictable, intimate, and deeply human.
Sayeed pointed to a few standout scenes that resonated most, including a confrontation between Roberts and Garfield’s characters.
I’m excited about the scene with Julia [Roberts] and Michael [Stuhlbarg] in the hospital room, with Julia and Michael in his office. I love that scene. That’s Luca’s favorite scene, by the way. And then Andrew [Garfield] and Julia at the loft space, the second time she’s in there with him, it’s a tough scene. I’m really happy with where we landed.”
When discussing Guadagnino’s style, Sayeed described the director as a “master of film grammar” who knows exactly when to break the fourth wall or use a close-up to heighten emotion.
“He’s a master of these techniques—breaking the fourth wall, inserts on hands, slow motion, details, and nuances,” Sayeed shares. “He knows how and when to use it. He’s an editor as well, so he shoots specific to the moment relative to the dialogue and emotion in the scene.”
Outside of After the Hunt, Sayeed is equally passionate about mentorship and returning to his creative roots. A proud Howard University alum, he recently announced plans to return to campus to teach a master class.
“I just want to give them whatever I have to offer,” he said. “It’s our duty to pass on the knowledge. Whatever I can share that will help them grow — that’s the goal.”
When asked about whether it’s easier or harder for young filmmakers today, Sayeed offered a balanced view:
“There are things that are more difficult and things that are easier. When we started, we shot on film—it was expensive. Editing was on Steenbeck. So there are definitely easier things now. But because more is accessible, it’s slightly more challenging to create an original voice. Everyone has their own fingerprint, their own handprint that doesn’t emulate or match anyone else’s, and you have to figure out how you’re going to create that.”
With After the Hunt, Sayeed continues to channel that energy into storytelling that lingers long after the credits roll.
After the Hunt is now in theaters in New York and Los Angeles and expands nationwide on October 17.
