Although it was delayed for seven months, thanks to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is a film that was certainly worth the wait, as the moviegoing season closes out the spring. Guadagnino, an Italian-born filmmaker, is known for his emotionally complex melodramas and rich stories with a touch of flair and heightened realism with the likes of Bones and All, Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria (2018), A Bigger Splash, I Am Love, and others. His new movie Challengers takes those character complexities and introduces them into the tennis world with a spicy love triangle as its centerpiece.

Written by Justin Kuritzkes (in his feature film debut) and directed by Guadagnino, Challengers follows the friendship turned heated-rivalry between Patrick, played by Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Emma) and Art, played by Mike Faist (West Side Story 2021, the upcoming Bikriders) two tennis pros vying for the love and attention of Tashi, played by Zendaya (Dune, Spider-Man: Homecoming). While Patrick and Art wrestle with feelings they have for each other and the object of their affections, Tashi focuses on her budding tennis career until a horrific injury puts an end to her dreams.

Challengers is told in a number of flashbacks, while keeping the main continuity of a tennis match. Over the years, Patrick struggles to become a successful pro, as he grinds it out for prize money on the tennis circuit, while Art marries Tashi, as the two build an empire together as one of the top professionals in the tennis world. The film goes back and forth (much like in tennis) between the match and how all three got into this position, as the stakes and power dynamics from each part of the story grows more and more.

It might sound complicated and complex, but you don’t need a flowchart to understand the story or the drama — which is a compliment to the writer and director for making it all understandable, relatable, and dynamic to watch. And boy, what a watch this movie is!

First of all, it’s just so sweaty. You can really feel the passion these characters have for tennis and each other (whether good or bad) in nearly every scene. The sexual tension is palpable, while the story is told with closeups to really get the nuances of the characters’ faces and expressions. It’s a fantastic mix between subtle and over-the-top, which is a balancing act in-and-of itself.

This is in part to the great performances from the film’s trio. O’Connor and Faist play their characters as sympathetic, but dim doofs, while Zendaya has such a cool streak throughout. She’s always in control and well-managed, as O’Connor and Faist are more than happy to be pushed and abused in a bizarre sub-dom relationship that builds and builds until the pressure breaks the characters in an unforgettable climax. 

Guadagnino’s approach to Challenger’s storytelling and camerawork (the final 10 minutes alone features some of the best cinematography and visual panache of the year) that really elevates the film into something really special.

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