'Challengers' Review: A Sexy, Sun-Drenched Trip Through Tennis and Tantrums

Synopsis

Director Luca Guadagnino is no stranger to examinations of sexual tension, and his latest film "Challengers" continues this trend with a philanthropic helping of sex appeal and an all-too-familiar story of thwarted love and rivalry. The attractive cast is framed with breathtaking cinematography from frequent Guadagnino collaborator Sayombhu Mukdeeprom and a pulsating score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. However, the film's attractive packaging can't mask a hollow core, as the story fails to explore its intriguingly pitched sexual politics in any real detail.

Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) is a talented but frustrated tennis player whose career is stagnating after a promising start. With his wife and coach Tashi (Zendaya) in his ear, he takes a shot at a lower-level tournament with a last-ditch effort to reclaim his mojo and go out with a bang. It's there that he encounters his long-lost friend and doubles partner Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor), and the pair engage in a battle of the sexes that spans across 12 years of baggage, bitterness, and unrequited love.

Our Take

"Challengers" has all the makings of a Guadagnino masterpiece: a sensual romance, exquisite aesthetics, and a soaring score. This time, the director swaps the lush Italian countryside for the elite tennis circuit, but the result feels like a less satisfying amalgam of his previous films. The sexed-up sports drama elements are hardly novel, and the erotic romance at its core lacks the intimacy and nuance to truly shine. The expressive margins of tennis are exploited to deliver a visual spectacle, but the sexual politics that linger just beneath the surface are frustratingly underexplored.

The Guadagnino touch is undeniable: Mukdeeprom's cinematography is stunning, seamlessly gliding from present to past with a sun-drenched glow that makes the most of the scenic sports arenas and plush hotel rooms. The script from playwright Justin Kuritzkes is smart and cheeky, but the non-linear narrative is overly fussy and frequently confusing. The talented cast tries its best to breathe life into a stale story, but they're stuck playing second fiddle to Guadagnino's unnecessarily grandiose vision.

"Challengers" is a real shame considering its promising ingredients, but despite its flashes of brilliance, it's hard not to feel disappointed at such a half-baked romance. It's a gorgeous-looking distraction that lacks the substance to satisfy either as a sports drama or a sexual thriller. Despite promising fireworks, this one fizzles out long before it reaches retirement age.

Awards and Nominations