First Take: Challengers - sport can be cruel sometimes

SYNOPSIS: Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, turned her husband into a champion. But to overcome a losing streak, he needs to face his ex-best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend.

And now we see the impact of the actors’ strike making its presence felt on the release schedule - this film was initially slated for a September 15th release before the chaos of last summer played out amongst SAG/AFTRA and the studios. So a few months later than anticipated, Luca Guadagino, the visionary behind Call Me By Your Name, has released his new film, opening wide in UK cinemas- and it is a hard sell considering the sport at the centre of it. But aside from the way this one’s been marketed, one name is enough to make the mainstream audiences watch this film, and we will get to said performance shortly.

At 2 hours 11 minutes, Guadagino is able to do a lot within the runtime, with the tennis sequences looking relatively authentic - obviously the script from first-time screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes doesn’t just deal with the on-court action, but the 13 years leading up to the challenger event for all 3 of our main characters. Admittedly the trailers do oversell some aspects of the plot, but what we do get is a solid story, rooted in realism and crucially told in a non-linear way to keep the tension going throughout the plot. The cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is just fantastic (especially some of the shots in the final act of the film) and while the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score is being heralded by some as another one of their finest works, the sound mixing on the film lets it down as at some points, with some dialogue being drowned out (a common issue at various cinemas, based on what friends who went to an early screening on Monday have fed in to me)- so be prepared to turn the subtitles on once it goes on Prime later in the year.

Undeniably this trio of leads make the film come alive - we have Zendaya (who also produces the film), Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor at the helm, and it is their performances that are central to the execution of this rather unique love triangle plot that plays out on and off court - and in Zendaya’s case, hot off the heels of Dune: Part 2, is it too early to say awards contender? The cast is rounded out by Darnell Appling, AJ Lister, Nada Depostovich and Naheem Garcia, and considering the talent, the way the film has been put together, the fact that Guadagino worked with player turned coach Brad Gilbert to train the core three talents in the sport just to allow it all to be done on-camera… there is a lot to like about this film. Aside from the knee injury central to the plot - even watching rugby week in week out, that snap still provides a proper ‘oof’ moment.

THE VERDICT

Challengers is a bold, provocative, slow burner of a film, and while the sound mix does make it a challenge to understand a few minor elements, it’s a movie which proves that even the most basic of sports can make for a good story in the hands of the right people.

RATING: 4/5