-Written by Kyle Bain.
After years apart, former best friends and professional tennis players Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) meet on the tennis court for a small-time tournament in New Rochelle, NY. Led by his coach and wife, Tashi Donaldson (Zendaya), Art must attempt to gain back his confidence and take one more step toward the US Open. This is Challengers.
Challengers is a brilliantly layered film that is beautifully constructed by Director Luca Guadagnino. Something that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, Challengers is put together so well that components of the film could be stripped away and the film would still deliver at a high level. Through a thrilling narrative, a spectacular score, and impeccable cinematography–Challengers is everything that you could have hoped for and more.
Starting with the narrative: it’s one that initially appears fractured, as nothing about it is linear. Writer Justin Kuritskes and Guadagnino take viewers on a journey through time–transporting us back and forth between the present day (2019) and thirteen years ago. We make pit stops throughout the course of Challengers in order to help strengthen the narrative and make it more complete. This team always tells viewers where they are in time–that is until about the halfway point. Around that point they stop telling us where we exist and we must rely on our own intellect to follow along. Challengers always provides a series of context clues so that viewers can follow along–but I genuinely appreciate the fact that they believe in their viewers, the fact they believe that they can follow along and fill in the blanks on their own. Challengers is art–high-level art at that; it’s truly intelligent.
Next comes the score. Much like the narrative, the score takes us back and forth, and plays potentially the most pivotal role in helping to establish the tone of Challengers. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score plays throughout the duration of the film–on and off, paired with silence and songs that are operatic in nature. This alone is enough to develop intensity, to strengthen the emotion in each and every second of Challengers. While this works nearly perfectly throughout the course of the film–this is one of the aspects of the film that could have been stripped away and the film still find success. To be clear: this isn’t a knock on the score, but rather a testament to how well-developed Challengers is.
Finally, the cinematography. Director of Photography Sayombhu Mukdeeprom focuses on Tashi throughout the course of Challengers. Whenever she’s on screen, she is the center of attention, always placed in a position of power or separating Patrick and Art from one another (which are sort of one in the same). While this trio is what guides the film, Zendaya is the star, and Tashi is the one that the film ultimately follows. Mukdeeprom is brilliant in his use of the camera to bring this story to life, to express to viewers the importance of Tashi in the grand scheme of these characters’ lives–and not a moment passes in which viewers can’t connect with the characters as a result.
The beauty of Challengers is the development of these characters. Three human beings that are often unsavory (certainly some more than others–but unsavory nonetheless) are able to appeal to viewers nearly every step of the way. Again and again we are shown what is wrong with Tashi, Patrick, and Art–but, just as often, we are reminded of their humanity, of how similar we are to them. No one is perfect, and that’s really the underlying message of the film–one that is perfectly developed and explored throughout.
My one struggle with the film is the ending. I can’t quite wrap my head around the final ten seconds of Challengers. I can’t tell what’s symbolic and what’s literal–and beyond that I’m trying to understand if Guadagnino and Kuritzkes abandon everything as the film comes to a close. I can’t honestly believe that they would abandon everything–and that leads to more confusion on my end. Challengers challenges viewers to dissect the denouement far more than the rest of the film–and while I don’t hate the ending, I’m still not sure what to make of it.
Again, Challengers is so brilliantly layered that things like sound, dialogue, and more could be taken from the film, stripped away, and the film would still have made sense–even still flourished. Challengers is one of the films that I was most looking forward to this year, as I love tennis and am often thrilled by Zendaya’s performances–and everything that I hoped for came to be. Challengers is a must see, a film that deserves massive recognition during next year’s award season.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino.
Written by Justin Kuritzkes.
Starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, etc.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND GET TO THE THEATER NOW
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