“Challengers”

7.6

The tennis threesome movie… love triangle movie? A bit of both. Similar to “Snack Shack,” they let love get in the way of their craft. (Although, cards on the table, I liked “Snack Shack” way more.)

This one is far from a fairy tale love story, and includes some of the most creative camera work since “Madame Web.” It was more than I expected in some ways and less in others. More of a mixed bag than I anticipated. As expected, the three leads really knock is out of the court with their respective performances, and the tension is at an 11 the entire runtime. It was really a masterclass in holding your foot to the floor in a genre that isn’t notorious for that kind of narrative structure.