Movie Review - Challngers

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Comedy
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor
 
Description: Tashi (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy turned coach, transformed her husband (Mike Faist) into a champion. But to overcome a recent losing streak and redeem himself, he’ll need to face off against his former best friend, and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend (Josh O’Connor).

Review: Luca Guadagnino has directed one of my favorite films of all-time: “Call Me by Your Name”. It’s one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen in my life, it’s simply perfect. I was excited to see Guadagnino’s newest film, especially since it’s been getting great reviews. “Challengers” is a really good, unpredictable film. While many say it tops “Call Me by Your Name”, I disagree, but I did enjoy “Challengers”. Though I might never rewatch it.

From the beginning it’s clear that there are three main characters: Tashi, Patrick and Art. Their interaction will define the drama. But the script does not the the story chronologically. The film has a fractured structure.

“Challengers” promises to be a sports film about rival tennis players. The film kicks off with the salutations of the ultimate match between Patrick and Art. But how that match evolves, we are given wordy details. Between beginning and end, the viewer is tossed back and forth between past and present, sometimes only for a brief scene.

Pretty soon, Guadagnino reveals that they are moving into a different direction from the classic boy-gets-girl sports drama after all. Art and Patrick used to be bosom bodies, when they were novices, who fell madly in love with then tennis star Tashi. But through the first sequence, which is a glimpse into the future, we know Tashi quit tennis, married Art and decided to coach him. What happened? Why was Patrick left out. Why did Tashi quit?

The mischievous Tashi, formidably portrayed by Zendaya, clearly finds that relationship tantalizing. The question, however, is what or who she really wants. I found Tashi highly unlikeable, as for Patrick. Art was somehow the only one I could somewhat root for, but I never really liked him either. Just three very nasty people, manipulative, seductive, egotistical.

Because of that, I might never want to rewatch this film again. Even though it’s very well put together. The way the story is constructed is so clever and it has some unpredictable twists here and there. But I kind of hated the three main characters, and then I find it somehow really difficult to get behind it.

Rating: 3,5/ 5