Jakarta. “Challengers” is now officially out in Indonesian theaters, and this latest work by filmmaker Luca Guadagnino keeps the audience entertained with a nonlinear tale of a complicated love triangle at the tennis court.

The 131-minute movie centers on three tennis players -- Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor). Art and Patrick start off as tennis doubles partners and best friends. But things turn sour after they get caught in a love triangle with tennis prodigy Tashi. The younger Patrick dates Tashi, although the relationship does not last long. As things change over time, present-day Tashi is now Donaldson’s wife and coach. Art is now playing as a professional tennis champion, while Patrick is struggling with his sports career. The old best buddies, who have now grown apart, finally reunite at the tennis tournament with Tashi caught in the middle again.

“Challengers” picks a non-linear narrative that spans over a decade. In other words, “Challengers” does not tell the story in a chronological order, but will move from the present day to flashbacks, and back to the current time again. The non-chronological order lets the audience put the puzzle pieces together on what truly happens to this love triangle, and how the story builds up to the final tennis match between the two guys. As the story unfolds, you might want to try to answer the question of who Tashi really loves or if she only loves herself.

Despite not being much of a sports fan, I did find the matches on screen were still entertaining to watch. The movie does not get too technical with the tennis terms, making it still enjoyable for people who are not into the sport or sports at all. “Challengers” made a smart decision by having the camera switch to the “point of view of the tennis ball” itself in the final match. This camerawork keeps the audience on the edge of their seat as they keep on guessing where the ball will land. Because the match is a make-or-break for almost everything, be it their career, love life, or even friendship.

In the acting department, all three main actors --Faist, Zendaya, O’Connor-- are equally good. Nobody really overshadows the other. There is not much to say about the rest of the cast as the movie does not really show much of the other supporting characters. Because in the “Challengers” world, it is really just about Art, Tashi, and Patrick.

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