One of my favorite things about reviewing movies is getting recommendations or requests from our readers.
Enter “Challengers” – a request I received at another event and honestly, it was on my radar already.
I can wholeheartedly say that this isn’t a film for everyone and I’m not a fan of the nonlinear storytelling format by large.
However, at least Challengers takes steps to clearly define differences in time as it jumps from the present to the past over and over again.
Other than that, the overall story seems to play out like tabloid drama and is painfully shallow in my book.
Challengers is an American romantic sports drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes.
The movie features Mike Faist, Zendaya, and Josh O’Connor.
The film is rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, and graphic nudity, and clocks in at 131 minutes long.
In 2006, high schoolers and childhood best friends Patrick Zweig (O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Faist) win the boys’ junior doubles title at the US Open.
Afterward they meet Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a highly lauded young tennis prospect to whom Patrick and Art are both attracted to.
The three meet in a hotel room later and in the ensuing encounter, the two boys kiss both Tashi and each other, but Tashi ends the tryst before it escalates to sex.
With Patrick and Art playing each other in the junior singles final the next day, Tashi says she will give her phone number to whichever wins.
Patrick wins the match and later signals to Art that he had sex with Tashi by placing the ball in the neck of his racket prior to serving – a tic of Art’s.
Tashi and Art go on to play college tennis at Stanford University, while Patrick turns professional and begins a long-distance relationship with Tashi while on tour.
Art privately suggests to Tashi that Patrick doesn’t actually love her.
When he visits Stanford, Patrick sees that Art is jealous, and playfully reassures him he cares for her.
Patrick and Tashi fight when she gives him unsolicited tennis advice during sex and he says he views her as a peer, not his coach.
In the match immediately after, when Patrick skips due to the fight, Tashi suffers a severe knee injury.
Patrick returns to comfort Tashi later, but she furiously demands he leave, with Art taking her side.
Art aids Tashi in her recovery, but she is unsuccessful in resuming her tennis career.
In 2009, Tashi reconnects with Art and becomes his coach, with the two beginning a romantic relationship.
He reveals that he and Patrick have not spoken since Tashi’s injury.
In 2011, Tashi and Art are now engaged and Art’s career is on the rise.
Tashi and Patrick run into each other at the Atlanta Open and have a one-night stand, which Art secretly notices.
In 2019, now married, Tashi and Art are a wealthy power couple with a young daughter Lily.
Under Tashi’s coaching, Art has become a top professional tennis player.
He is one US Open title away from a Career Grand Slam, though he has been struggling after recovering from an injury.
If you can stand the bouncing around and melodramatically strained relationship dynamics you might enjoy this film.
However, it’s definitely not something I’m endorsing or recommending by any means.
