Luca Guadagnino’s wryly horny tennis film Challengers

New Statesman

Left

High Factuality

Luca Guadagnino’s wryly horny tennis film Challengers

In a hotel lobby, tennis player Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) is trying to flirt his way into a free room. As he leans across the counter, smirk angled in the direction of the receptionist, the camera pays special attention to the strain of O’Connor’s tight blue shorts. As if it wasn’t obvious what director Luca Guadagnino was doing, the couple in the queue behind expresses similar, smutty appreciation. Challengers, his new film, is delirious wi…