As a Zendaya fan, I was looking forward to seeing her. Challengers Because it was at the top of my must-see list movies of 2024 list. However, despite his critical praise and box office performanceI didn't really know if a Movie about tennis That would be my thing. And more importantly, I passionately hate love triangles as a narrative device. I still hate them, but Challengers offers an unusual story that doesn't follow the standard love triangle route. It's more complex.
This It's a movie about a lot of things, but the love triangle is at its core. The story doesn't have all its nuances without it. Tashi (Zendaya), Patrick (Josh O'Connor) and Art (Mike Faist) are all influenced by it. It's one of the parts of the movie. That was what fascinated me most.
Warning: Spoilers for Challengers follow. Proceed with caution.
The Challengers' love triangle never seemed to be based on love
Love triangles are often seen as two members in love with the same person. The object of affection must choose between them. Challengers It never seems like a love story of two men in love with the same woman.
I think Art loves Tashi, but I don't think she loves him back. Also, there's a scene where he says he loves her and she just acknowledges that he loves her. This scene shows Tashi's coldness, but it also implies that his appeal to her is that he's so in love with her. Another scene shows Patrick saying that Tashi wants a member of his fan club. Art is that, Patrick isn't.
Patrick and Tashi's egos make them unable to live out the traditional idea of love. I think Patrick cares for Tashi and may love her in his own way. Tashi may have some affection for these men, or maybe they are tools for her ultimate goals. Patrick and Art are obsessed with Tashi, but not necessarily in the traditional way of love. Obsession is part of all of their identities. They are also dreamers and that is another basis of the love triangle.
Art's love for Tashi makes him the most likable of the trio. It also proves that he is more down-to-earth and grounded in reality. He would be fine retiring and living happily in (non)marital bliss with Tashi. That would never be enough for her and Patrick.
That's why he was willing to give up his tennis career. Patrick and Tashi would always pursue that dream no matter how bad things got. That's also why I think Art is the only one of them who could fall in love. He's the most human. He enjoys tennis, but it never seemed to be his whole world. His lower ambitions made Patrick and Tashi feel superior to him, despite their obvious problems and flaws.
She seems to see his worth only when he wins and competes. Patrick enjoys beating him, but apparently doesn't take him seriously as an opponent on the court and in this love triangle. She doesn't even respect him enough to respect his marriage vows. However, that's partly why he Challengers end It's very interesting.
Art gets the win and both Tashi and Patrick are thrilled for him, but the betrayal has been exposed. It’s a victory on the court, but it could still be the end of both of their relationships, even if it ended in a hug. The hug may symbolize a reunion of Art and Patrick as competitors or teammates, but it doesn’t necessarily mean all of their conflict has been resolved. That match stands above all of their petty squabbles, it’s bigger than the love triangle at that point.
From the beginning it was all about the battle
Patrick and Art automatically enter into a friendly competition for Tashi's affections. They compete on the court for her number. They then spend years competing for her. Patrick technically wins the first battle because he gets her number and they start dating. However, Art wins later when he is there for her when she hurts her leg. Art then maintains his lead for years with his marriage and son. However, Patrick scores a few victories along the way with his romance.
For most of his relationship with Tashi, they both try to outdo each other by winning her over. They both like her, but it seems to be more about what having her represents. They are the superior man because she chose them. The same goes for their tennis matches. They prove that they are better players by adding new trophies to their collection. Tashi, in many ways, is just another trophy to them. Over time, they may realize that they were never the ones who could keep her as a victory. She controlled things the whole time by pushing them both to perform better, as players and as her lovers.
Tennis was his true love in Challengers
Art never seemed to be as in love with tennis as Patrick and Tashi. They love it enough to make it their identity. Who would they be without the sport? Tashi seemed especially in love with it because of how her life and dreams were shattered by her injury. Patrick sacrificed a comfortable life just to pursue the dream of tennis. He put his pride aside by doing whatever it took to compete.
Their love for tennis is the reason why they are top athletes. Art always seemed to be the one who enjoyed tennis but he didn't let it rule his life until Tashi made it that way. However, the ending seems to show a rebirth for Art. He starts to fall in love with him again. He may become her true love and that's why she's able to release any angst surrounding the affair. I still can't definitively say that the hug signifies Patrick and Art's reunion on a personal level but it's definitely the reunion of them as tennis challengers.
It wasn't a simple love triangle
Challengers It feels like a queer movie. There is an underlying sexual tension between Patrick and Art. In the movie, they kiss, but they don't express direct romantic affection, although there are plenty of not-so-subtle nods. We have the sauna scene which is quite sexually charged, especially during the moment when Patrick asks Art if he misses their relationship. It's clearly about friendship, but there's also a hint of something more.
Josh O'Connor described the characters like “fluids”, And that seems to be a good label for Patrick. We see Patrick and Art accidentally kiss and that’s the only straight queer moment here. We do, however, see a scene where Patrick swipes through women and then a man shows up. Typically, you only see matches on dating apps of whatever gender preference you indicate. So this moment implies that Patrick is at least interested in men as well as women.
Also, Patrick has moments where he looks at Art as if he wants to confess his undying love for him. I think the love triangle isn't just about both men being in love with Tashi. There's enough information to read it as if they were in love with each other, or at least Patrick was in love with Art as well. Some might even read the ending as if they chose each other over Tashi. Personally, I didn't read the ending that way, but there's an argument that works for that choice.
Art's final victory is also related to the love triangle
So, I read the ending as the men finally realizing that their little fight over Tashi isn't what's important. What's important is their love of tennis. Patrick rekindles Art's desire to win by sleeping with his wife. They then have a passionate match. Art wins and they embrace as Tashi enjoys every moment.
Tashi has constantly been a force that has driven them apart, but also forced them to try harder. Her purpose in both of their lives is to make them compete, whether on or off the court. Some may think they will live in trio bliss and now make it work as a trio. I didn't see that possibility. Because of who Tashi is, they will never be able to share her. They will always compete for her, but this match may have been what was needed to end the battle for her. They both lost her, because she would never truly love either of them. However, they won this victory and maybe each other again.