NEW YORK (OSV News) – Intense and erotically charged, the psychological drama “Challengers” (Amazon MGM) is, in a word, challenging. Yet, while it trespasses into territory many may not wish to visit, the serious artistic intent behind the production redeems some of its excesses, though only for a small group of mature moviegoers.
As scripted by Justin Kuritzkes, director Luca Guadagnino’s emotional study charts the tangled relationships among three gifted tennis players: best friends since childhood Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and Tashi (Zendaya), the seductive woman for whom they both fall. The resulting triangle proves a source of taxing turmoil for all involved.
On the court, Tashi’s rising star is eclipsed by injury, after which she becomes Art’s coach. In the realm of romance, Tashi eventually marries Art but not before dating and sleeping with Patrick.
As Kuritzkes examines the rivalries, jealousies, shifting loyalties and wayward behavior of this trio, Art and Patrick veer wildly from sharing a quasi-sexual bond to mutual loathing. In keeping with modern mores, the screenplay takes premarital affairs as a given, yet graver wrongdoing is poignantly rebuked. And there are moments satirizing the lust-induced stupidity of the pals.
The messy situation, depicted in scenes that shuttle back and forth over time, is presented as a source of interest but not necessarily with approval. Zendaya’s skillful performance, meanwhile, leaves viewers uncertain whether Tashi is the harassed victim of her own appeal, striving for balance between her competing suitors, or a ruthless manipulator playing on their urges.
For those willing to encounter exacting material, “Challengers” may prove intriguing. Those who prefer wholesomeness and discretion in their entertainment, by contrast, should look elsewhere.
The film contains strong sexual content, including the preliminaries and aftermath of adultery, same-sex necking and an image of arousal, full nudity in a nonsexual context, a few uses of profanity, a handful of milder oaths, pervasive rough language and about a half-dozen crude terms. The OSV News classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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