Challengers

I wasn't sure what to expect coming into Challengers but I was definitely very pleased coming out. The film blends the intimacy of relationships with the tennis pitch and does a fantastic job in making you feel up close and personal. The film grows in tension from minute one, the final tennis match being intertwined throughout, after every scene we get of our characters the match at the end seems more and more impactful and meaningful. I thought the time jumps were done really well throughout as it wasn't confusing but instead gave us information about characters at the perfect times and gave us the right knowledge to view them. The performances by all three leads are superb, as by 15 minutes in you are completely immersed into the characters. The film manages to mould your opinion of the trio from scene to scene, making you feel empathetic one minute and judgemental the next. The camerawork and cinematography should also not go unnoticed as both were stunning the whole time. I've never been so entertained by a tennis match as it somehow makes no minute become boring and each hit meaningful. Overall, Challengers is an intense and sweaty watch, where boys fight over Zendaya which is pretty normal really. It weaves the relationship drama into the tennis matches making even the conversations seem like a rally. The film builds it's tension and characters perfectly until the last minute where it boils over, and it's also funnier than I would have expected. I would 100% recommend checking it out.