Preamble

The path to returning this time around has been noticeably harder. Something perhaps has changed. But that’s a topic and indeed a preamble for another time. For now, my return to blogging could not have been better timed. Luca Guadagnino’s new film- Queer hits UK cinemas soon and casting for his remake of American Psycho has been announced. As a result, I thought it would be timely to catch up with the Italian director’s previous 2024 effort- Challengers. But rather then a One Great Shot, I wanted something a bit more on the bones in terms of covering the film. With that said, have you seen Challengers? Let me know in the comments below.

Brief Consideration

Luca Guadagnino makes sensual pictures, whether it’s the sumptuous European delights of A Bigger Splash or the underhanded sexual tension in his Suspiria remake. The same can be said of his romantic Tennis drama- Challengers, which depicts the brewing tension between two ranked Tennis players- Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) over former player turned coach- Tashi (Zendaya). When they were younger, the pair were besotted with the upcoming Tennis star. Whilst Zweig initially dated the young woman, Donaldson went on to marry her. The backdrop of the film is a tense Tennis match between Donaldson and Zweig, who attempt to work out their differences on the court.

Aside from oozing a captivating portrait of sensuality from the trios’ initial twists, the film’s appeal comes from how the game of Tennis has come to define the identities of each of the players. In this way, the sport becomes an extension of each of the characters as opposed to a means to an end. In fact, Guadagnino uses the sport to excellent effect in the filmmaking.

Various strokes serve (pun intended) to illustrate the passage of time as they are used as transitions to the past or future. And handheld camera moves are used to immerse the viewer in the sheer sweat-inducing desperation of its combatants. But the moments in Challengers that moved me were off the court. The sobering reflection on life during the dead of night or coy gestures that only long-standing friendships can yield. These moments are punctuated by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s propulsive and eclectic score that adds intriguing real-world sounds (such as a phone alarm) to its audible canvas.

Much like previous Tennis-based pictures (particularly Match Point), Challengers is less about the game itself than a representation of a state of mind and ambition that its central sport can foster.