CHALLENGERS - Movie Review 

I deeply appreciate how you review movies, based on merit, themes etc. and not succumb to manufactured hype around movies and actors.

Its so funny to me the reasons you dont like lucas style is why i love it haha

Lmao that commercial comment is spot on.i was literally thinking you could take that final sequence of the film,edit it down a bit ,and you would have the greatest Nike commercial of all time.

Comparision to Y tu mamá también is a super point

"Metaphorically transparent" is a term that needs to be in everyone's lexicon.

Even though I disagree with points on this movie, I thoroughly enjoy your reviews. You know you’re a great critic when your stuff is palatable and entertaining, even if the viewer doesn’t share your opinion. I’ve been making videos about film for a few months, and I definitely struggle with presenting my cons and dislikes of a film. Always worried that I’ll piss off people who love a film for the same reasons I don’t. Watching your channel has been a great way to understand how to approach reviews, and to highlight the good and bad aspects of a film in a fair way. Keep up the great work! 👍

deepfocuslens a cut above all other RU-vid criticism!Lets go!

The energy of this movie is incredible. I love Challengers. I get your points but he really is matching the intensity of these characters with his direction. I’d tell you to check out his previous BONES & ALL, which would give you the Guadanino that you’re looking for.

It''s feeling a bit lonely over here on challengers island -- i enjoyed it quite a bit, think there's more depth than it's getting credit for. it's a little tricky when characters are metaphors but in challengers i thought each of the 3 had enough to them ... the three leads were excellent . Also something that I don't believe you or any of the comments have mentioned is how well done the tennis is. They made it very believable and enjoyable to watch, varying up how they portrayed the sport throughout, keeping it stylish and engaging while also making it seem as if the three leads can really play spare for an occasional shot here and there. *Paul Schrader said in his positive review of the film that it should've been 20 mins shorter and I have to agree with that

For a movie heavily leaning on its erotic pretensions there is surprisingly little real chemistry between the characters , each of whom is an irredeemable narcissist. The relationships never genuinely evolve or mature from there teenage meeting. Neither the tennis match nor the love triangle have any drama beyond the superficial . The thesis seems to be “Zendaya is attractive so people will watch”. Millions spent on marketing. Contrast this with the outstanding “Past Lives” which sadly will be watched by a fraction of the audience Challengers will attract.

I was bowled over by "Bones and All" in terms of Guadagnino showing how versatile he can be. He pushed beyond the Italo-bellisima box wherein a guy like Paolo Sorrentino lives.

I'm a little baffled at the acclaim this is getting. I thought it was okay, but things like the loud music drowning out dialogue and the Snyder-esque overuse of slomo drove me nuts.

The selling point for this movie was the promise of a erotica romance. However, what we actually get is weak characterisation. I think a class element may be the problem. They're actions are not motivated by any need to solve a problem, they just exist and are doing stuff. Even being injured only stopped her playing, her quality of life wasn't effected. If someone who is working towards playing in the NBA or NFL gets injured they're quality of life pivots. In some cases instantly, as in the loss of a scholarship. Because there's no need for the characters to work to pay the bills, it makes all the main characters passive in a character driven film. That is a foundation for a weak movie.

Just watched the film today. I wish I could explain what criticisms I had as concisely and accurately as you did. :)

I stand completely opposed on the characterization of Arte and Patrick, I thought they were well developed male archetypes that admire each other's talent to an extent before their lives completely move apart.

I am not certain that I agee with the comment about Zendaya being "groomed for show business from a very young age". She got her first TV acting gig when she was 13. Both Zendaya's parents were school teachers in Oakland Ca. In interviews with her mother, it appears that Zendaya was less groomed to be an actor and more that she was determined to be one and they just supported her. Her mother had gotten a second job with a local theater group and Zendaya insisted on going to work with her and getting involved in the productions. Her father, who had five other children from a previous marriage, went with her down to LA when she was 12 or 13. Until then, she had lived in Oakland. (I remembered Zendaya from the Disney TV shows my Daughter watched as a child and Spiderman, so I clicked on one Jimmy Kimmel RU-vid video with her. The Algorithm has since inundated me with Zendaya content. )

During this movie, when the audience laughed, I wondered ‘am I dead inside’ or are these people around me dumb or both

Nothing but respect for this film reviewer, she actually knows craft and nuance at a much deeper level than others.

Love your channel. Can you please review The Royal Tenenbaums?

It was smart to bring up Y tu mama tambien. I watched Kermode's review and all he could think to do was compare this to other tennis movies, and of course pull his punches. That being said, he didn't make the mistake Maggie does of saying Challengers could have been a "home run". No dear, use a tennis expression. A love game. A straight sets victory. A romp.

Love the Y Tu Mama Tambien comparison! Havent thought of that one in years

when it comes to Guadagnino, I have only enjoyed I Am Love. Maybe it was the simplicity of the story and its emotional exuberance, though now I am a little scared to see it again. I really looked forward to Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria but was thoroughly disappointed by both. The trailer for Challengers left me cold

I kind of liked the movie. but I really hated the final scene 🤣 Also, I found the movie very much not sensual

This amazing Lady drops intelligent deep (focus!) movie reviews like none other everytime 🎬👏🏻💯

I've watched it 3 days ago. I wish I didn't.

Warning, 50+ person review. I would have loved this movie to be about tennis and competition. It would have distracted me from the issues it plays with but completely ignores at the same time. For me it falls in line with so many movies trying to make normal what isn’t and shouldn’t be. You’ve got two extremely effeminate and insecure men (apparently popular these days) being manipulated by a narcissistic, morally absent woman. It flirts with homosexuality but doesn’t commit. It try’s to develop a strong woman character with conviction and morality but sidelines all of that for impulsive sex. I felt that Mrs. Z’s performance was fantastically wasted. The film bothers to highlight her characters wedding ring, the cross around her neck and the fact that she has a daughter but tosses all of that virtue out the window on a whim as she sneaks off, meets with and has sex with both male characters for what you’re supposed to believe is an effort on her part to create competition between the two potentially gay men. In the end I came away with the feeling that these are three very spoiled, self centered and confused people whos motivations in the movie aren’t quite clear. I would have had more respect for this movie if the two male characters were openly gay or just go ahead and have the threesome early on and create the tension without eluding to religion, without the marriage and daughter, and without the infidelity. If this movie was being honest, the next ten minutes of it would have shown the two male characters living as domestic partners raising the daughter in their posh LA mansion and the female character scraping by on what little star fame she had before her injury (she had that coming). It owed me that much for my time 🤷‍♂️.

Dope music, that’s about it.

I literally just came back from the theater and this is the first thing I see

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who struggles with his films, they are all very soapy and sexualized in nature as well. I'll stick with mid-day mellowdrama television sitcoms!

Great video! Would love to hear your opinion on Arthur The King

I came out of this movie like I wonder what Maggie thought 😂 I loved it but I agree with some of what you say. I’m a big Luca fan I’m curious what you thought of I Am Love and A Bigger Splash?

FYI you have 69.9K subscribers. Nice.

You’re consistently my favourite film critic, I’m always interested to hear what you think

Good review I totally agree about the time jumping.

i think i sono amore is his strongest film, because of the coldness of the characters. but besides that i totally agree with you.

Have you ever reviewed Smoke Signals?

My summary of the movie; Nike, Coca-Cola, Head, Gatorade, Aston-Martin, Uniqlo, Apple, Adidas...Anything I missed?

most definitely the best movie review channel on the whole interweb. Kermode and Mayo, are you watching?

Very interesting review. Totally different of how I felt. I understood all three of them perfectly. Their emotions made total sense to me. I could understand their decisions and what let to them and I rarely have that feeling in movies. All three characters together are me!

What are your thoughts of the 3 films directed by S. Craig Zahler? I love his style personally. Can’t wait for his next. Cheers!

What did you think of Bones and All?

I'm anxiously waiting for her to review Abigail. It seems like the perfect Deepfocuslens film

I’m was gonna watch it this past weekend but decided just wait till it comes in streaming for what I heard from the reviews

It's great to hear really smart, deep, insightful opinions that I totally disagree with. I love Guadagnino and I expect to love this movie, but I will have to think about your perspective when I see it.

ugh I loved challengers but I understand the points you made about Lucas movies. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on ‘bones and all’ as I feel like it may have the depth you feel is lacking in his other films.

this is the only review that's doing it for me on this one

Given Luca Guadagnino's entirely foreign personal landscape (with him being from a Sicilian father and Algerian mother, and grew up in Ethiopia!), his films can feel so entirely American... without much hint that their director is so comparatively "exotic". His intense taste for art history is the only clue that he is indeed of the Old World, and specifically of the west Mediterranean. I once had an art history prof. who could be Nicole Kidman's Tunisian twin, and who would love to read me writing this.

I really enjoyed Guadagnino’s updated remake of Suspiria. Bones and All was right in my wheelhouse, and Dayton/Faris’ sports drama Battle of the Sexes (I was 6 when King beat Riggs in his 2nd go-round) was highly entertaining, so I do plan to see Challengers in the future.

In defense of the film, it was nice to see something that felt fresh with very good young actors. Compared to most contemporary American films, Challengers had a lot of style and momentum and was a lot of fun to watch. I'm glad Guadagnino exists. He brings a beauty and sensuality to film and tries to push the boundaries of style. I also thought of the great Y Tu Mama Tambien but I think Challenger's was going for a lighter feel. I thought it was a great Summer movie.

I tend to agree with you on Luca Guadagnino‘a films, it’s how I found this channel. When no one I knew agreed with me on CMBYN. I had similar thoughts to yours on this one too. However out of Luca’s films I’ve seen this is the first one that I actually enjoyed despite still feeling superficial.

It starts to flatline after that hotel scene (which was genuinely intriguing)…after that the soundtrack felt like it was trying to do cpr lol congrats on 70k 🎉

I’ve had a realization watching this review luca’s movies will never find favour among realists, he clearly has an affinity for romanticism and dreaminess he’s clearly an idealist and I think that holds him back from making really emotionally poignant movies but I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing it’s like how there’s really emotionally potent music that never gets to the top of the charts because majority of the world likes to escape through art and then there’s pop music which is just a silhouette and watered down version of the human experience but then there’s also outsider pop which is not quite mainstream music but pop with like an underground flair it is closer to having real emotions attached to it but still suffers from the same pitfalls that pop music suffers from that’s how I feel about his movies

Sublime review! Subscribed.

What is your favorite movie of all-time?

So glad I found this review. The whole time after the first scene with the three of them in the hotel room, I was just waiting for the boys to stop dragging their feet and actually decide what they want. A whole lot of nothing happening between the beginning of the move and the final scene. Zendaya was probably the most interesting character in terms of motivations but by the end it didn’t really matter and she never got a payoff like the boys did. No theme to be found other than homosexual self actualization. Although I was thrilled to see two men kissing on screen in a very popular movie!

my favorite movie of the year!

Hello David here, I been a Movie buff for over fifty years. I think you do a great job on your channel. However I hope it’s ok to leave you a random message, I just saw a movie called Supercon, one of the weakest movies I’ve seen in a long time. Please do a review when you have time. Thank so much 😊

I really really liked this movie! One of my favorite movies this year!

The first third is so good, the second loses traction and focus and it's back on track in the third part.

I walked out. I was bored out of my mind

Great review...🤩🤩🤩!!! And I also didn't care for the movie 'Call Me By Your Name.' For me, I just couldn't see or really BELIEVE the chemistry between the two leads. And in this movie, it should've been MORE about the two male leads. Like I was more interested in what was building and culminating between the two of them, than what was going on between the two of them and the female lead. Overall, this wasn't a bad movie by any stretch, I just feel that it could've been more. Again, GREAT review...☺️🤩😇.

"she's very protective of the illusion".

Do you have a Letterboxd account?

Loved Suspiria despite it biting off more than it could chew, but I also feel that Challengers was a bit too “thin” for me. Overstylized and enough meat on the bone in terms of character motivations/development

don't like Luca's other films, but his style and 'artifice' click here. actually find this film to be outstanding, truly surprised. it feels very unlikable initially, but over time reveals itself to be something special.

Great Review. Saw this and was bored out of my mind. Like you said, it never developed the characters in a real, emotionally grounded way. It was all art and flash, which I can get behind, as long as the emotional core is also there. The music also was driving me nuts. It felt like someone made a so-so pasta dish and then slathered in peanut butter and jelly to give it some flavor. I love PBJ but it just does not go with pasta.

I liked the "Suspiria" remake but "Challengers" didn't catch my interest until the last 45 minutes.

Best review I've seen of this movie

For me, the best movie since "zone of interest" perfectly captures and articulates the lines that separate desire, passion and obsession. Stylish and sexy as hell for extra credit. This will probably end up being one of my favorites of the decade.

I didn't even consider Y Tu Mama Tambien while watching it myself and your consistent recalls to its majesty of a strikingly similar topic make me somehow like this somehow less. I couldn't get from my mind the similarities to Truffaut's Jules and Jim and these films really show just how fallibly weak the relationships set in this movie are.

I think you do a great job with your reviews, but we have yet to agree on any movie I’ve seen you review so far 😂

We went 5 of by friend to see it because of the hype, we left at 80% of the movie. I think this comment covers it up very well: "For a movie heavily leaning on its erotic pretensions there is surprisingly little real chemistry between the characters , each of whom is an irredeemable narcissist. The relationships never genuinely evolve or mature from there teenage meeting. Neither the tennis match nor the love triangle have any drama beyond the superficial . The thesis seems to be “Zendaya is attractive so people will watch”. Millions spent on marketing. Contrast this with the outstanding “Past Lives” which sadly will be watched by a fraction of the audience Challengers will attract.

The film was just filled with brand names in every shots… It just felt like watching cinematic advertisements, I know that it’s part of the world of professional athletes but it was kind forced.

I think Tashi’s release and elation, reflecting her prior elation when she “destroyed that little bitch” on the tennis court shows that she is a more active member of the trio’s dynamic and a more active character than Luisa in Y Tu Mamá También. She pulls the strings and pushes along the men’s relationship while also being in the midst of it, whereas Luisa in Y Tu Mama También is more of a catalyst to spark that change for the boys because she knows she is not long for the world. It’s a great contrast that I’m glad you pointed out but I don’t feel the difference detracted from their characterization or the impact of the film. Great review as always!

I'm definitely mixed on this film. It seems over-directed, which I think you allude to, and I agree that, for a story that's character-driven, the characters are a bit thin. I still don't understand what tore the boys apart. The one scene in the clinic didn't seem like nearly enough. And I honestly rolled my eyes at one point during the storm scene. There's so much that almost works incredibly but is overdone.

Saw the trailer at the cinema and was like "You cannot be serious!' Points, if you get that reference 🎾

Pleasantly surprised by this one

The only movie I've seen by him is breaking the waves (or whatever it's called) and I felt the exact same thing: it started to get really interesting as soon as it ended. So weird. Its like a reverse Polanski

Maybe check his Tv series We are Who we are

Spot on review. I found it overrated. Lots of style, but the film is about emotions and relationships - and I found that part sorely lacking and soulless. 7.5/10 overall for me

I also didn’t like Call Me By Your Name and couldn’t finish it. Challengers was dope, though

I actually really enjoyed Suspiria but his other movies haven't interested me at all

I mostly agree with you. I found the movie boring and irritating most of the time while I was watching it. But I’d admit that I kinda liked it more after some days have passed. I think it’s because there are two decent scenes that are interconnected, one is the threesome scene in the trailers and the other is the ending (though I still don’t quite get Zendaya’s character). The rest of the movie is just a lot of tennis which I find boring no matter how good it is filmed and very unlikeable and incomprehensible behaviour from the characters. I also thing the male actors were a little overacted while Zendaya’s acting is ok but the character is very weird. Sometimes she’s kind of likeable but most of the time she is an awful person. I also don’t quite the whole homoerotic tension, you either go in that direction or not, but this was a little strange.

I just fell asleep during the review.

I loved 'Call me by Your Name' and almost hated his one.

Review some British old cult films please

hakuna matata tambien?

Having been a fan of lucas films, i admit Challengers is his best work.

"The French love your film."

Such a Excellent Review. This moving back and forth time was so annoying that I did not care anymore. The best thing was the soundtrack I hated the movie it was frustrating as the characters themselves. I give the movie a D

THANK YOU!!!!! Cloudy, flighty exactly how I felt. I said surface level. The end was so cringe. I'm going to watch y'tu Mama tambien this weekend.

Elusive is the right word. The marketing for this film has not drawn me in, AT ALL!

I 100% agree with this review. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills with how crazy people are going for this movie. nice looking, great acting... from Zendaya, fun editing and framing. But empty AF. Theres nothing there. The dialogue was so bad it felt like it was dubbed

Truely.... Honestly..... Madly.... Deeply..... How can you like the ending to this movie when it has no ending at all.... For these boys to end up hugging eachother at the end after the sauna scene is utterly ridiculous... And cheap.... I agree with your entire take bar that.... Maybe we should hug forever...

Every Luca movie I’ve seen feels like an R rated version of a Disney Channel Orignal Movie lol

Hey, I finally got around to watching this. An advertisement boasted it as the sexiest movie ever, and I've been trying to think up a sexier one, but nothing is coming to mind. This my first Luca Guadagnino film, and for me his most pronounced stylistic nuance was his use of music. In case you haven't noticed, I hate when filmmakers use music to spoon-feed emotion. Whenever a film's soundtrack overwhelms its visuals, my knee jerks. Can't be helped. Here, Guadagnino really leaned into Reznor's techno sizzle whenever the moments got heated. Overbearing music, yes, but anger and competition and passion are overbearing elements of the human condition. It felt so fresh and juicy, spine tingly, and the story always met the sonic flourishes head-on. You complained about the characters so I will seek to explain how I see them: Zendaya is a bad woman. It's her way or the highway. What makes her complex is her passion to win. It's a destructive passion, even as it manifests as predatorial power. She's quite capable of destroying herself and others. Patrick Zweig is his own person. He's one of those happy go lucky people who cares more about pleasure than anything else. He wants Zendaya because she's the hottest woman in the world. He submits to her because he realizes it's the only way she'll allow him to have her. But Patrick, in the end, will always live for Patrick. Art Donaldson is the character you said you never got a feel for. I would argue he's the most unique. We often hear stories about bad, selfish people because bad, selfish people tend to lead more interesting lives than good, selfless people. I don't know if I would call Art good, but it's undeniable that he's selfless. He's so selfless that he needs a partner to reflect off of. Only then does he begin to take shape. In the beginning this partner is Patrick. Then Art disengages to attach to Zendaya. Look up 'codependence' in the dictionary and who do you think you will see? There you go: Zendaya loves Patrick and Zendaya. Patrick loves Art and Patrick. Art loves Zendaya and Patrick. A beautiful triangle. 10\10

Was this meant to be julies et jim, triangle?Doesn't sound interesting to me.

SPIDERMAN 4: SHE FOR THA STREETZ

You have a very attractive mind. Great freaking review!!!

Best review. I hated the soundtrack and didn't think it helped a poor film.