Art is the champion. He has the money, the fame, the endorsement deals. But he’s bored. He’s soft. Patrick is the challenger—hungry, broke, and dangerous. The entire film builds to a single, rainy match at a low-tier New York challenger event. On paper, the champ shouldn't be there. But the champ needs to feel something again. I cannot write about this movie without mentioning Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score. It is not a sports soundtrack. It is a techno rave mixed with a panic attack.
Luca Guadagnino’s electric, sweaty, synth-soaked thriller isn’t really about tennis. Tennis is just the battlefield. The real sport on display is Challengers
The movie asks a brutal question: What happens when you stop being the challenger? Art is the champion
This isn't Rocky . You won't find a wholesome underdog story here. You will find a film about how love and hate are the same emotion, and how sometimes the only way two people know how to communicate is by hitting a felt ball as hard as they can at each other’s faces. He’s soft
Whether you love tennis or hate it, see this movie. Just be prepared to feel like you need a shower and a cigarette afterward.