Challengers
“who is he to you if he’s not playing tennis?”
luca guadagnino absolutely did not disappoint with this one. this film was absolutely phenomenal from start to finish, and i honestly have no complaints. it’s not often that i can find a movie where my attention is grasped throughout its entire duration, but this was one of those, for many reasons — from the characters, to the cinematography, to the killer score. aside from the surface attributes, the story was intriguing as hell, full of many intricacies that aided in the quality of this film. at first glance, i myself guilty of this, many would assume this movie to be nothing more than a pair of friends competing for the love of a girl; however, it exceeds those generalized assumptions to craft something that is much more than that. there is so much symbolism, so much depth in each and every character, and an ever-changing perspective on them as you watch. to be completely honest, my personal favorite out of the big three was patrick, but it’s hard to even say that you have a favorite with a movie like this.. in some sense, they are all villainous in their own way, as they all do something pretty shitty to get what it is they want. i do love the irony of this film, though, tashi claiming to not be a homewrecker, yet ultimately becoming one as she ruins the love the boys had for one another. ugh, tennis players are just so messy, but i live for it. a rather unexpected favorite, challengers has earned a high spot within my overall ranks, the entire production just being pure perfection in my eyes — and btw, patrick was definitely ice, art was for sure fire, no doubt. 🔥🧊