Remarkably crafted and told refreshingly in a non-linear way, Guadagnino transforms tennis into a three-way psychological match in hell, where romantic entanglements serve up ‘underhands’ and ‘double-dealings’ that take morally contentious turns. 

---

---

It does seem like Luca Guadagnino has firmly taken over the mantle from ‘90s and ‘00s Wong Kar-Wai as arguably the world’s most stylishly sensual filmmaker working in the last 15 years. 

With Challengers, possibly his most mainstream work to date and one that could earn him new Gen Z fans (particularly with Zendaya’s involvement), Guadagnino continues to make inroads in the realm of studio filmmaking while at the same time flaunting with seeming effortlessness his mastery of craft and storytelling. 

While Bones and All (2022) was decidedly more mixed to me, Challengers is certainly an improvement, though nowhere near the soaring heights of Call Me by Your Name (2017) and Suspiria (2018). 

It is still remarkably crafted, told refreshingly in a non-linear way (though perhaps with one timeline jump too many) as Zendaya plays Tashi, a former tennis prodigy forced into coaching after a terrible injury. 

“I’m taking such good care of my little white boys.”

She coaches—and is married to—Art (Mike Faist from Spielberg’s West Side Story), a famous tennis player who’s severely lacking the confidence to succeed. 

The problem, however, comes in the form of opponent Patrick (Josh O’Connor, seen recently in Rohrwacher’s La chimera), a tennis player who is finding success difficult.  More tantalisingly, Patrick is Art’s estranged best friend from college and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend. 

As such, Guadagnino takes tennis, primarily a two-person sport, and transforms it psychologically into a three-way match in hell, where romantic and sexual entanglements serve up ‘underhands’, ‘double-dealings’ and even ‘bro-codes’. 

But because of the film’s pulsating rhythms (with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross in the DJ booth no less) and visual excesses, the film feels good even when things take morally contentious turns. 

Grade: B+

---

Trailer:

Music: