“Challengers” is director Luca Guadagnino’s latest film, which follows the turbulent relationships between its three main characters through the lens of their tennis careers. Unlike most love triangle romances, where one character is being chased by two others, this story gives each pairing equal attention, and showcases the ways the three get so deeply intertwined with each other over the years.

The movie itself is about tennis. Tennis is what connects Tashi Duncan, Art Donaldson, and Patrick Zweig. Art and Patrick had been best friends since boarding school, but once they meet Tashi at the start of their college tennis careers, a wrench is thrown in their friendship – they both like her, and she likes both of them, and they’re both sort of into each other, but none of them quite know how to make any of it work.

Tashi is played by Zendaya, and Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor play Art and Patrick, respectively. Each of the three actors have incredible chemistry with each other, and do well with both fleshing out the distinct personalities of their characters, as well as their intense, unique dynamics with each other.

The movie itself is nonlinear – cutting from the characters in their youth to where they’ve grown distant from each other years down the road, Patrick vanishing from their lives completely and the heavy strain between Tashi and Art, who end up married. 

Though it can be hard to follow at times, it’s always an interesting way to tell a story and reveal information to the audience, especially when done well. In the case of “Challengers”, it certainly is. It’s also worth it to watch back a second time for more details to click, or just to see it again with a better understanding.

The intensity of the relationships between all the characters, both on and off the tennis court, is certainly elevated by the film’s score.

The music is done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who’ve done plenty of movie scores together before and most recently worked on the 2022 film “Bones and All” with “Challengers” director Luca Guadagnino. They also currently make up industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, the distinct, gritty sound of which comes across in this film’s primarily techno and piano score.

One scene that especially stands out where the incredible performance, writing, and music all come together is early on in the film, when a young Tashi Duncan is explaining to Art and Patrick what tennis means to her – how one forms a relationship with the person they’re playing against, how it’s almost like they’re in love.

At times, the relationships between the three and the whole love triangle matter still end up feeling a bit corny and cliche, but it’s an entertaining movie nonetheless that has a unique take on portraying relationships – of lust and love – in both literal ways, and through the lens of tennis.