“Challengers” directed by Luca Guadagino and written by Justin Kuritzkes is a bold and electrifying film. It’s witty, it’s energetic and dripping with sweat and personality. Zendaya is putting on a tour de force of acting, creating a character that on surface level is shallow, but in reality, is beyond invested in the love of tennis. Her character Tashi is all about the love of the game. The other two gentlemen are no slouches themselves, being two of the wheels driving this complex and forwardly erotic throuple. This is one of the best sports films I have seen; its focus is not tennis, it is what tennis means to these characters. Tennis is the conduit through which the power and thrill of this film is funneled through. Please, do yourself a favor and rush to see this film on the big screen, you won’t regret it.

Back of the DVD Summary: Zendaya plays Tashi, a former elite tennis player forced to the sidelines after an injury derailed her career. The film begins with a heated tennis match between Patrick (Josh O’Connor), Tashi’s former boyfriend and her current husband Art (Mike Faist). The two men used to be friends and used to both be trying to win Tashi’s heart. As the tennis match unfolds, we learn more about the complexities of this relationship and just how far each of them are willing to go for the love of the game.
The score is equally as sexy and vibrant as the characters themselves — each synth-pop dance track makes every second the tennis matches unfold beyond engaging. The score is paired with excellent camera work and interesting shots. Example being: in the climax the camera follows the tennis ball it is being battere back and forth. There are a few more inventive shots and angles, but I do not want to spoil the experience of this film on the big screen.
Another strength of this film is getting me to care about tennis. Full disclosure: I do not care about tennis. I was, however, very invested in the characters. On paper the way the story is told could be confusing; it tells it at three separate but converting points. It begins at the end, goes back to the beginning, and switches between the two until the past and future meet in the present. With the aid of helpful questions of time, place and date, the timeline is laid out for the audience to follow from event to event.
Simply put, the story starts at the climax and fills in the gaps as the film unfolds. While this is certainly a top five film of the year for me, it is not without flaws. The third act is a bit indulgent in its length and at times the energy of the film is suddenly cut off. A moment would be building in its insanity and tension, wouldn’t be released, but left to dangle. Since the film begins at the climax, the pacing is a bit weird because the moment we’re building to, we’ve already been in for some time. It relies heavily on audience investment up to that point to make the climax feel, well, climactic.
“Challengers” is the most simultaneously fun time I have had at the movies, while not sacrificing characters or plot to do it. Even if you are not a sports or tennis fan, I implore you to give this film a watch on the big screen. If nothing else, love or hate it, it’s memorable!