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Tashi (Zendaya) is a tennis player-turned-coach who has successfully transformed her husband, Art (Mike Faist), into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of a losing streak, she makes him play a “Challenger” event – close to the lowest level of pro tournament – where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend, Patrick (Josh O’Connor), who also happens to be Tashi’s former boyfriend.

Far from your typical sports movie, Challengers is less concerned with the final score than with the ever-shifting dynamic between its players (though the final moments of the match are exhilarating). Anyone who’s ever played tennis knows that the game starts with “love” and escalates fast, and in this film, which equates romance with the ups and downs of a match, the pressure mounts both on and off the court as the perspiration pours. Another filmmaker might have subtracted himself to foreground the story, but Guadagnino goes big, leading with style and a trendy score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. In keeping with the athletic theme, he does wild things with the camera, pulling some risky yet inspired tricks. The resulting film has an electric spark that elevates the script, rendering it fresh and fun, with Guadagnino effectively scoring the winning shot himself.

(US / 2024 / Directed by Luca Guadagnino)
R / 2 hr 11 min