On a recent Friday, my sister and I walked into the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, bought popcorn, and took our seats in the theater to watch Zendaya’s new tennis movie, Challengers. Two hours and eleven minutes later, the two of us walked out in silence, baffled by what we had just witnessed. How in the world could a movie about a tennis-y love triangle be such an emotional roller coaster?
The movie was directed by Luca Guadagnino, a man known for movies of emotional complexity (if you’ve seen Call Me By Your Name, which, funnily enough features Zendaya’s Dune co-star Timothée Chalamet, then you’ll understand). Throughout the movie, Guadagnino’s ability to produce a masterpiece comes alive through his incredible cinematography. Guadagnino uses complex characters to make the movie a reflection on both the joys and challenges of life. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Zendaya states that Guadagnino “ha[s] such a keen, deep understanding of the characters from the beginning,” and co-stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor successfully bring his ideas to life. Each actor had to tackle the challenge (pun intended) of accurately portraying one character in two drastically different stages of life. From hotshot teenagers to vaguely mature and somewhat depressed adults, Challengers covers an expansive emotional range wherein the three leads demonstrate their expertise in their craft.
The film is technically a drama, but also a comedy and a sports-romance; however, it is not in the way that you’d expect. In the tennis world, “love” is used to indicate a lack of score in either points, games or sets, but in this film, “love” includes an array of intricate emotions and relationships. Art and Patrick have been best friends since childhood, and they meet tennis prodigy Tashi Donaldson at a post-tournament party. The fast-paced, comfortable banter between Art and Patrick is a key part of their relationship, and their inside jokes make for entertaining Easter eggs that I, as a viewer, feel proud to have noticed. Fast forward to years later at a tournament in New York, a coincidental (?) meeting occurs on the courts between Art and Patrick who, across the years, have had a wedge driven between them in the shape of Tashi. It is unclear which relationship bond the audience is supposed to root for: the marriage, the affair, or the friendship, and that confusion is a purposeful challenge placed on the viewers by Guadagnino.
If you are a person who desires straightforward answers, I do not recommend this movie. The ending feels frustrating. Nevertheless, if you are like me and want to actively obsess over a film for weeks after watching it and then rewatch it over and over again once it is released on a streaming service, Challengers is perfect for you. I wish you luck in your inevitable viewing of this masterpiece. Game, set, match.
