Challengers Explained: The Ending, Love Triangle, Real Life Story, What Really Happened
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 23 май 2024
- Challengers, the new Luca Guadagnino film starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist as tennis champs caught in a love triangle began garnering interest as soon as it was announced. And while it certainly does feature some steamy moments, it turns out that the film is about much more than just the average competition-over-a-girl love triangle that we often encounter on film. So what is Challengers really about? Let’s unpack that, plus take a look at the real-life origins of the story and what that wild ending really represents.
Join our Patreon to unlock the members-only series “Total Take," vote on what we cover next, and more: / thetake
Read articles on film, TV and culture: www.the-take.com
Follow our socials: linktr.ee/thisisthetake
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:28 Why Tashi, Art, & Patrick are so drawn to each other
03:48 Don't forget to check out our Patreon page!
04:07 The deeper truth about their love triangle
06:55 The real life inspirations for the film
09:03 Analyzing that ambiguous ending
The Take was created by Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough 
Кино
Thanks so much for watching! Up next, check out our Explained video on divisive recent hit Civil War (ruclips.net/video/wU7LWpQbRuA/видео.html) or our video on Dune 2 & why the changes made to Chani's story actually make so much sense (ruclips.net/video/_UKkAp0ptog/видео.html)
Also, make sure to check out our Patreon page! www.patreon.com/thetake
It's hilarious that all three Spidermen, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland have played soldiers, while their love interests Kristen Dunst, Emma Stone and Zendaya have all appeared in Tennis themed movies.
Playing a soldier isn’t as unique as playing a tennis player cos there’s so many war movies whereas there isn’t as many tennis movies
Are you happy the Critical Drinker recently got 2 million subscribers?
@@1bridge11
Who cares?
@@alienboy1322 Everyone should care. Don't be a hater.
@@1bridge11
Who is everyone, You?
Well, I don't care, and I will be a hater. If you don't like it, I highly recommend you tell it to somebody who does care.
PS. The Critical Drinker sucks.
Pat loves Art, Art loves Tashi, and Tashi loves tennis
actually no, Tashi is obviously drawn to Patrick for sexual reasons, that's why even if patrick accepted the deal to make Art win she still sleeps with him. So also Tashi "loves" Patrick too.
@@giorgiamichelin6817no she doesn’t she doesn’t love either of them
@@giorgiamichelin6817sex and love can be separated
@@johnplemmons1684 how do you explain the different treatment for patrick then
@@giorgiamichelin6817 because he wanted to play tennis while art wanted to rest, and she needed to be close to the game no matter what.
Correction: She didn't leave Patrick for Art after her injury. They reconnected 3 years later and that's when they got together.
I hope positive word of mouth helps this movie stay in theaters for a while. We need more performance, character driven, mid-budget auteur movies in theaters!
The callback at the end makes the entire movie. So good!
That was such a great moment, having that epiphany with a crowd full of people more or less at the same time. THAT is what cinema is about! You can't get that experience watching this film at home!
What was the "callback", I don't understand. Great film!
The extremely predictable way that Patrick informs Art that he's slept with his wife.
That's not true. I watched this movie at home today and was freaking trembling on my seat with how amazing this scene was@@samfilmkid
@@pedrovp6408 loll sameee. 10\10
my interpretation of the movie: art is ego, pat is passion, tashi is discipline. The characters are placeholders for these qualities and how they interact, their relationships and careers reflect these qualities. pat was the better player of the two when they were younger showing passion is a strong source of motivation and progression to oneself but art always wanted to win, pat just loved to play. This leds them down different paths when tashi is introduced. Tashi is discipline(damn near obssession), art and pat saw her life and who she was and were envious, they wanted her and fought for her, passion won. Pat went on tour and that distanced him from tashi and art, his discipline and desire to win(ego), this led to their break up because she simply "didnt want to be with a tennis player that sucks" (her words not mine). When they broke up, coincidentally she had her career ending injury immediately after, when discipline loses passion it needs new purpose. Art comforts tashi as your ego should. tashi decides to become his coach, and he gets to become a successful well known tennis player, and she gets to live through his tennis career, Pat became a bum. Art begins losing and loses his will to play but is afraid of losing tashi if he retires. Ego is afraid of letting go of something that encompasses a very large part of itself. Art worked so hard to get to this point and is afraid of letting it go because its such a big part of who he is. Before Pat and Art's match, tashi and pat meet and do cool stuff. passion finds discipline again and his drive to win. The game is even, showing that passion and ego can be equal motivators to ones purpose. As the match reaches the end both players had submitted to each other, pat submitting to his desire to win and art overcoming his fear of loss in pursuit of enjoying the match. this final match they finally all 3 come together for a moment when they are aligned. Much like a player in any sport, a moment when your drive to win, your passion for the sport, and your training and hardwork are aligned is best described by tashis monologue. So it wasnt important who won only that we got to see them play and how each of them brought out what the other was missing. //feel free to tear this apart I just felt this had good continuity and these experiences are pretty relatable to most//
Not at all. Art is not ego. At all. If someone is ego it’s Tashi. It’s Patrick as well. But Art is not at all
I feel that Art never had the same desire to succeed at tennis that Pat and Tashi did. It felt like he went from enjoying playing with Pat and sharing an emotional connection, to replacing him with Tashi and trying to please her for a similar reason. So maybe Art’s part of the triangle represents the interpersonal desires that a professional may have to sacrifice to pursue excellence?
The point is in the end: it’s all about tennis and always was
Tennis but also the love triangle. She loved them when they loved each other AND Tennis. It's almost like love Square. Tennis is the 4th partner😂.
@jt9172 exactly all three were in a polygamous relationship 😂
I liked how the movie states 2-3 times “we’re talking about tennis, wtf else would we have to talk about” and it really does round back to that at the end
I actually think it's love and tennis is more the context the surrounding everything
Loved this movie, going to go watch it again this weekend. The score and cinematography alone were incredible and the director certainly knows how to ramp up tension. The film is sexy without explicit sex which is a sign of good writing, directing, and casting. The last 20 minutes were insane, especially the few moments before Patrick touched the ball to the racquet. I was on the edge of my seat.
I felt that the cinematography and storytelling style were strongly reminiscent to the hit miniseries The Young Pope. If you liked that then you’ll love this.
The battle of wills and manipulation at play made me think of Whiplash.
Hated the movie
@@Menstralk
Maybe it was just my theater, but the pulsating music during every important conversation got on my nerves! I could barely hear what they were telling each other.
Yesss it was so annoying
Did you feel nauseous? Pulsating and binaural waves can do that
Yeah same here! I legit got a headache by the end
Just your theatre. Heard things. Learly
What wasn’t mentioned, towards the end of the match, Patrick uses their old “signal” to let Art know he once again slept with Tashi…
We all saw that This made Art very angry, almost hitting Patrick with the ball on his first serve, and it also ignites a new fire in Art .
Then Art does his regular set up where he places the ball in the racket, BUT he glances at Patrick and gives him a little smirk as he does it. Art does this while smiling, as a joke to signal to Patrick that he too has slept with Tashi.. (obviously Art has, he’s married to her!lol) Patrick gets the joke right away and smiles/laughs. Art serves again, only this time, they are no longer competing over Tashi as bitter ex friends, they are competing as best friends who love the game. And because of this we get to see an amazing match between two world class players.
P.S.
It doesn’t matter if Art wins that round, he’s gotten his confidence/fire back, and will be able to make a run for US Open championship.
Tashi gets to live vicariously through her lovers amazing battle, and feel that passion for tennis like she did when she was younger.
Patrick technically wins that game because Art touched the net, which is perfect because now he will win the challenger prize money and qualify for the US Open. He gets his best friend back..
Thank you for explaining this final scene! That was all aí wanted to understand, since I'm not a tennis fan, I couldn't get what touching the net meant! Now I know, thank you!!
@@breeezywitit1714 he got his confidence back by finding out your wife, with whom you have a young daughter, cheated on you with your old friend? And somehow the cheater deserves a hug? I would've killed that ma, and at that point my marriage would be over, but in this movie this is a GOOD thing for some reason? Geez, wtf did I just watch? Incomprehensible.
@@dunkenrunten4593 majority of his career he was playing to impress Tashi and live up to her expectations, he was never in it for himself so he didn’t have the drive to compete like a great. That moment with Patrick crushed Arts desire to compete for Tashi, and sparked a new desire to win, for himself. They do have a complex love triangle between them I hear what you’re saying about being angry, Art used that anger to show Patrick Art had become the better player.
@@breeezywitit1714 that's the craziest explanation I've ever heard, but okay. F your wife, cheat on your husband, destroy your marriage, whatever floats their boat.
Interesting choice to use clips from Tashi and Art and Tashi and Patrick kissing but not Patrick and Art. Feels like their romantic or sexual love for each other, while danced around in the film, could’ve been addressed directly in this video to our benefit and understanding of power dynamics within this trio. Otherwise great video.
To me it seemed like Patrick was harboring sexual attraction to Art and could possibly be bisexual but Art never seemed interested in Patrick that way. I took it as Art just felt really close to his old friend and grieved the loss of that bond.
Well they don't have access to clips from the movie that aren't in the promos and those scenes are not in any of the promos.
Art is just more shy but he never rejected Patrick's advances. He definitely felt something for Patrick too.@@bjornjohansen9688
@@bjornjohansen9688 Yes, I think Patrick is more comfortable with his bisexuality than Art.
Patrick is bi. In his dating app matches there was one guy which implies he's mostly attracted to women with the exception of one guy or another. Art is straight. He felt more comfortable with Patrick beyond of the expectations of sports bro friendships. The only time they kissed was almost accidental. They never initiated a make out session on their own.
I guess I'm old or unable to get subtle scenes/unspoken meanings because I did not understand this movie until I watched this. Thank you for the breakdown.
Me too
In the end the movie about tennis was all about tennis 😂
It's an ambiguous ending you can't explain an ambiguous ending that's why it's ambiguous.
Does anyone remember the stupid trend about the three-some and people making fun of Tom Holland for Zendaya doing the S*x scenes? Im glad that didnt ruin their relationship and Tom is a bigger person, but honestly all those comments and videos were so annoying
this is a job, sheesh. people are so weird. they are both actors. im sure they understand each other when they have to do intimate scenes.
Which was hypocritical when Tom was literally railed on a movie too
People are stupid, it's illegal for Hollywood actors to actually have real sex 😂
@@danielz-v4083 respectfully, you might want to talk about that to your therapist. because you are projecting a lot of yourself into situations/relationship of a couple who you don't know anything about. They are strangers to you, they have no idea you exist. Plus, those sex scenes in movies are not real. They wear these socks and panties and blockers. There's like 5-10 people in the set watching you "do it". There's a hot light shining on top of you. The actors are remembering lines and remembering choreography. You can even scour Reddit posts of actors talking about how awkward those sex scenes are and are the farthest from being "sexy".It's a job. She's pretending.
I think it was just jokes
Art manipulated his way into Tashi and Patrick relationship
Exactly
@@danielz-v4083 huh??
Yea he did but I think that would’ve happened anyway Patrick was losing his matches wasn’t as supportive as Art and she was seeing Art every day and even then they still didn’t get together after that it was 3 years later
@@marcusmelancon3426 Patrick wasn't supportive because he was tashi equal ,he said that to her .....she acted like that's what she wanted......Art ,with his manipulative skills thought that too so he was her puppy ....but deep down that's NOT tashi,and Patrick said that to her in the car....he KNOWS her ,art doesn't even though they are married for ages......Patrick and Tashi got each other ,even when she was angry after because she blamed him for her life altering injury ....she COULDN'T hate him for long,the spit was her saying I blame you....then the love after was her showing that he still owned her heart! And Patrick refusal to let Art simply win(hence Tashi nerves during the match) shows ( again car scene when Patrick says "who cares about Art's needs ,what about mine!?")that Patrick wanted Tashi too,he knew a loss would leave Tashi with no reason to stay with Art ,and art KNEW that(spa scene when Patrick quips back that Art actually has more to lose)so it was a match for his (fraud)life
pat was her equal i felt he was more skill then art but lazy, and art would jsut do what she wanted
My husband and I loved this movie. It’s intriguing and keep you guessing the intention of each person.
youre so real here queen
"find who or what sets your heart ablaze" - I love that wow! ✨✨
I hope this begins a genre around the quarter-life crisis. I’m blunt take away. The movie would be “Jesus, just do polyamory and non of that other stuff would have ever happened” man
Bravo ❤❤❤❤
I think the kid Tashi has with Art is actually Pat's.
I thought that!
I’m 99% on that, since the “Atlanta” flashback shows them kissing and disappearing in the hotel…8 years before the events of the Challengers final. Which seems be around the age of the kid(6-7 years or so)
🤔 Who's Lily's real father?
The Korean Series Taxi Driver also had a sort of unique Challengers type love triangle between Kim Do-Ki, Ahn Go-Eun and On Ha Joon. Unlike most series where the same gender pine for the opposite gender, instead Go-Eun and Ha Joon pined for Do-Ki in different ways and for different reasons; Go-Eun viewed Do-Ki as the light of her life and her true companion which is why she fell in love with him while Ha Joon viewed Do-Ki as a bane and nothing but a trash slut in his eyes (thanks to an incel priest who himself had a personal vendetta against Do-Ki) but he ends up harbouring feelings for Do-Ki in a way draws him to him but disgusts him at the same time. While Do-Ki himself also has different feelings for both Go-Eun and Ha Joon, Go-Eun because she makes him feel safe and sound and comfortable and loves him for who he is but is unable to pursue a relationship with her due to the loss of his mom and the circumstances surrounding it and Ha Joon because there is something about Ha Joon that Do-Ki is curious about and despite having reservations about him, Do-Ki seemed to grow a soft spot for him and slowly fall for him, which is also why when Ha Joon visited his fake funeral, Do-Ki was hesitant in adding him to his suspect list because in his heart he might've felt that Ha Joon wouldn't do that to him until his adoptive dad Jang revealed his true colours to him which is when Do-Ki was heartbroken by the betrayal. And all of this lead to a traumatic civil war in the season finale which ended with Go-Eun moving back into Do-Ki's apartment complex and Do-Ki returning in the arms of her and his crew but Do-Ki ending up physically and mentally scarred by the stress caused by Ha Joon's betrayal and suicide and the Bishop's abuse of him.
Interesting 🤔
Sooooo neither of those guys could find another women???
This story is just weird
pat was sleeping with everyone, and i think half the reason pat wanted tanis is becoue art did, he love art as much or more then taisa
sometimes pros are pros, exactly because of their unconditional love to their passion. and that’s f awesome. not good or bad, just beautiful. that unique power, without question, is definitely worth respecting and makes the difference. who won? easy, pro level tennis.
Ok mirka! We see the ring tho. And her husband trying not to cry but failing miserably...is so freaking adorable. Great addition to this video. Thanks for sharing it. I used to love tennis. My coaches put me tournaments. I cant explain it. But one day while playing i saw my ankle breaking. As a young kid that was very jarring. To know one day it was going to just give out on me. That was the summer I quit. But I idolized capriati. Had her poster and everything. And overnight, I moved on. Traded it for NKOTB. Been boy crazy ever since. 😂😂
this was me as a kid too, i played and even competed in tournaments until one day during training, my knee kind of like jagged out of the socket and back in again. nothing was dislocated or broken but it ALMOST was. i quit that day, and since then i’ve enjoyed watching the game. i idolised serena williams, though.
@@oliviatagoeduring good times most definitely!
This was "Y Tu Mama Tambien" meets "Baby Driver" meets Tennis
And the ending was frustrating
I actually liked the ending they all won Art lost his drive in the end he got it back Pat got his best friend back and Tashi got her love for the game back a call back to the beginning she said it was about the relationship
Now if only we could make a movie this exciting about the controversial world of Championship Chess.
This is the closest Fedal movie we ever got !
Okay guys help me out here, wtf did I just watch? He figured out his wife cheated on him literally during the match, and this somehow made him so happy he ended up hugging the man who slept with his wife, with whom he had a young daughter? I would've killed that man. But within the movie this is somehow a good thing and deserves hugging him? The final 30 seconds I had no clue wtf I was watching
Long story short, who won the final game?
It is most probably just a coincidence but I find Tashi's name interesting, because in Russian tashit' can mean to pull or drag something and she is the one pulling the strings in their relationship.
ну ты и притянул за уши брат
Ну да, ты прав, но это не имеет возможность, потому что я изучаю русский язык как иностранец, я румын и это мне помог запомнить слово.
зачем ты учишь этот ненужный язык? румынский лучше. румынское кино лучшее в европе@@filosofuldecanapea2098
i loved the movie but i'm having trouble with understanding the unspoken messages around it... can someone tell my why tf it's all about tennis?? i mean it's their job and they met because of it but i think it's not ALL about it, i mean there is a love triangle and a relationship, a child, etc. idk why they keep saying that and i really want to know what does it mean
i keep reading things about the movie and i think i found the reason: is it because tashi said that tennis is a relationship?? and what does she mean by that?
The real winner is "Wilson".
Am I the only one who thought the music was annoying/corny/too loud at times?
It was a freaking challenger tournament. Nobody really cares about them especially a grand slam winner. Challenger tournaments are below ATP tournaments, grand slam tournaments above ATP.
ngl this new logo and thumbnail sucks
Thought 2 girls 1 cup came out years ago🤦♂️🤮
I think the real message is - go to college
This movie was unnecessarily toxic. You can still tell a dramatic story without the toxicity or at least use it to stop normalizing it. The real lives stories that were used to inspire this movie were much more interesting than the actual movie.
Toxicity is the entire crux of the movie though. Life can be toxic and here's why. Without the toxicity there would be no movie called Challengers. The title says it all.
What "real life stories"? It's an original script and the writer only real life inspiration was Watching Serena Williams getting a reprimand for getting "coaching" from the benches which Serena denied at the moment.
it's almost like it's a movie ... the film clearly shows how toxic relationships ruin your life (art and tashi were unhappy, patrick was even a drug addict), come on a movie shouldn't feed you with a spoon wtf are we talking about
It's real😂?
No 😂 the director just pulled inspiration from a couple places. But the trio’s complicated romantic dynamic itself is not based on anything real. The video explains this
horrible
film...
I shall skip this movie...
BS Movie
I feel like this movie is gonna be a lot like Saltburn.
Everybody loves it upon release but upon further inspection the whole story feels lifted from Wattpad
Yeah, it gives... _Saltburn._
Nah doesn’t feel Wattpad at all. It would have ended differently if it were fanfiction-like.
well no because saltburn uses common plot points and presents itself as shocking and unique when it is basic at best. whereas challengers is a complicated and messy drama about three complicated and messy people. saltburn is BAD and was deemed so by critics and audiences alike whereas challengers is critically and audience wise a good movie. this is a ridiculous comparison to make lmao
@@justagirl36 Yeah fanfic levels of messy, hence my original point
@@availanila Yes you regurgitated my exact point, anything else you wanna add?
Hilarious this got high ratings on Rotten tomatoes. Shouldn’t be surprised…. What a stupid movie
Unpopular opinion: This movie is boring as hell.
Agreed 💯
Art is the beta simp, Pat is the alpha bad boy and Tashi is a average 6
The churro scene and the last 20 min 🤤❤️
Hottest scene for sure 😅
Gross
Guadagnino is a genius, but Dolan or Cuarón would've let them touch tips 🧎🏽
lmfaoooo