Challengersis a romantic sports drama featuring a trio who try to navigate their complicated friendship/relationship dynamic. There’s Tashi Duncan (played by Zendaya), a former tennis star who had a career-ending injury that led her to coaching, and former best friends Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor). Patrick dated Tashi for a while, but it didn’t work out and years later, he hasn’t got much of a tennis career. Art married Tashi and though he “got the girl,” he still feels like Patrick’s shadow is cloaking him.
Challengers' premise might give the impression it’ll be another stock love triangle. Two love interests pining after the main character, never once questioning why said protagonist continues to lead them both on. But here, there’s much more to it.Director Luca Guadagninomade interesting choices that gave much more dimension to the average triangle, making for a dynamic and engaging viewing experience.
Challengers
A True Triangle
One majorgripe people have about love trianglesis they are rarely ever triangles. If we are to assume each individual is one point of the triangle, it should follow that they are all somehow involved with one another. Yet that’s rarely the case. As mentioned, there’s usually one person who has to choose between the other two.
Sure, there’s a level of indulgent wish fulfillment there. Two attractive people fighting over “me” (read: the viewer as the protagonist). But if audiences move past the self-inserting phase, this becomes frustrating. Why don’t the two love interests stand up for themselves? Why are we rooting for a lead who strings along people? InChallengers, that’s not to say those elements are gone. Many would argue that Tashi encourages both of the former friends, Art and Patrick, for far too long.
What makesChallengersdifferent is that’s the point. The writers, Guadagnino, and the actors are exploring this imbalance andthe crackling chemistrythat comes along with it. That’s the heart of the film. Additionally,Art and Patrick have their own complicated, tense relationship that is heightened by Tashi, but doesn’t solely revolve around her.
Life Outside the Romance
It makes sense that in a romance the focus is on… well, the romance. Just like action films prioritize the action and mysteries focus on the mystery. In those other genres, perhaps because they are so different from the experience of everyday people, audiences can understand why it takes up so much of the characters' focus. However, romance is something many people experience, but they still get on with their lives.
Oftentimes, it seems like the romance is the only thing going on with the characters. Do these people have jobs? Hobbies? Friends? Specifically, ones that don’t revolve around their potential partner. Popular love triangle depictions show how the choice between Option 1 or Option 2 consumes every waking second of the lead’s life. InChallengers, each member has a life outside the romance.
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Josh O’Connor gets the role of his career alongside the reliably terrific Zendaya and Mike Faist for Guadagnino’s erotic tennis ride.
Of course, their interactions and history with each other complicate it.But viewers get the sense that even when the cameras shut off and if the characters never speak to each other again, their lives won’t stop.Tashi will still be dealing with finding purpose outside of tennis. Art will still be discovering how to stand on his own and gain confidence. Patrick will still be finding ways to put his career back on track.
No Purely “Good” Member
Two common elements of many love triangles frustrate many viewers: 1) A horrible person, usually one of the love interests, who is there to add cheap tension but is never really a choice. We know this person is never going to end up with the lead, so the scenes with them seem like a waste of time. 2) One member, typically (but not always) the lead, is portrayed as the perfect one who has no flaws.
It’s easy to see why these are tropes audiences are tired of seeing. In Guadagnino’s film, there’s no “good” member, or completely toxic member. Sure, there’s always going to be discourse about whether viewers are Team Art or Team Patrick, but the film does a great job of giving people reasons to root for or against each of them. Art is nice, but also a bit manipulative and jealous. Patrick overcompensates a lot and is immature, but is also charming and honest when it counts.
Tashi is probably whereChallengersdeviates from the typical love triangle the most. Zendaya playing her and many of the funny lines given to the character draw audiences to her. But in all honesty, she’s not a great person. And the film doesn’t hide that. There’s never a moment where it seems the filmmaking is condoning Tashi’s toxic behavior, nor are they judging her for it.Each character is allowed to breathe onto the screen like the flawed, messy humans we all are.
A Perplexing Conclusion
Romance movies are known for giving viewers a happily ever after, or at the very least, a happily for now. End scenes usually depict the final couple embracing (bonus points if it’s in a busy airport during the holidays) or at the altar of their wedding, maybe even in their future home with their children. Neat, tidy endings. There’s nothing neat and tidy aboutChallengers.
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One complaint floating around is the non-linear timeline the film uses, cutting between the present day when Art and Patrick are in a tennis match and back when the boys first met Tashi pre-college. Unless the filmmakers are baiting for a sequel, most romance-heavy films end with a clear choice being made about who “won.” Without delving into too many spoilers,Challengersdoesn’t handhold the audience at all.
The ending doesn’t tell us who “won” anything. In the romance. In the friendship. In the match.Viewers have speculated and debated online about it all, trying to piece together any detail from the film that could’ve been a hit to the ambiguous ending.Open-ended finalesaren’t for everyone, but it’s yet another example of howChallengerswent against genre conventions and branched out from typical love triangle trope expectations.
