Challengers was a movie I was really excited for—a competitive tennis movie with a love triangle, set up by the trailer to be an intense match on center court. The story follows Tashi, a tennis player turned coach, who has transformed her husband from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a challenger event, one of the lowest-level tournaments on the pro tour. Tensions soon run high when he finds himself standing across the net from the once-promising, now burnt-out Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
However, the film didn’t pan out as expected. It ended up focusing more on the love triangle, showing flashbacks to how the two competitors both vied for the same girl. While it emphasized the art and cinematic features of film, it didn’t live up to its potential. I didn’t necessarily dislike it, just believe that it could have turned out a better product than what it ended up being. I had high hopes for this movie, expecting an 8 or better, but it ended up falling to a 6. Though not terrible, it was very low compared to my expectations. The best part of the film was probably the ending, with a nod to the relationship between the two competitors. Challengers is definitely worth streaming for a stay-inside date night movie.
