Review: Challengers

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this threesome never happens


Official Synopsis: Tashi, (Zendaya) a former tennis prodigy turned coach, turned her husband Art (Mike Faist) into a champion. But to overcome a losing streak, he needs to face his ex-best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend, Patrick. (Josh O'Connor)

I've never been into tennis. Aside from the Williams sisters, I could not name a single professional tennis player. But what I am into is this cast and director Luca Guadagnino. And this film makes tennis thrilling. The way the tennis games are shot and edited is just spectacular to watch. I didn't think going in that this would be "must see" on the big screen, but to really get the scope of those scenes in particular, you should.

That said, while I enjoyed this movie overall and I do recommend seeing it, I'm left with some mixed feelings about the story. This film is heavily marked around Tashi. It's her game, her rules after all. Only Tashi ends up being the thinnest character of the trio because this film is not really about her. It's about the relationship between Art and Patrick. I was legitimately surprised at how little I know about Tashi outside of her love of tennis. I'm struggling to understand some of her motivations. Patrick and Art end up fully formed characters and the only question I'm left with regarding them is why they even try to date other people when clearly the person they love most is each other. I wish I knew Tashi more, but she's almost more of a MacGuffin than an actual character. 

Even with my complaints about Tashi, there's still a lot to love about this film. The score is great (albeit way too loud at certain points) and I'm still thinking about it days after seeing it. It's very polarizing and there's a lot of different takes out there. I'm curious to hear yours.

Grade: B 

Comments

  1. Candice FrederickApril 30, 2024 at 9:52 AM

    Yeah, Tashi was not a developed character at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 2, 2024 at 7:31 AM

      That roundtable you did about her just being fetishized was on point. She needed more development.

      Delete
  2. thevoid99April 30, 2024 at 5:38 PM

    I still want to see this but not this weekend as I've been dealing with a lot of illness these past few months as now I'm dealing with dry throat and sinuses. I fucking hate the spring season.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 2, 2024 at 7:32 AM

      Oh no! I hope you're on the mend. Sinus infections are awful.

      Delete

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