‘Challengers’ review: Steamy Zendaya movie is this year’s ‘Saltburn’

When the movie “Challengers” hits Prime Video after its theatrical run, I suspect the response will echo that of last year’s most controversial film, “Saltburn.”

Like Emerald Fennell’s shapeshifting mystery, “Challengers” is, at once, artful, addictive and deceptive. The salivating viewer believes it’s one thing, becomes sure it’s another and then leaves with a different theory altogether.

There are more similarities. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name”), the movie features sexy, young stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in various states of undress, and their characters’ open ending will either intrigue or infuriate you.

Love “Challengers” or loathe it — and I look forward to the angry emails from the latter camp — you’ll definitely want to talk about it. And isn’t that half the fun?

The delish and devilish film, which jumps erratically back and forth through 13 years of events, tracks a trio of hotshot junior tennis players on the verge of going pro.  

There are best friends, and doubles partners, Patrick Zweig (O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Faist) — truly inspired fake tennis names — and the force of nature Tashi Duncan (Zendaya).

Despite being a teen with no grand slam titles, Tashi has heaps of high-profile endorsements, and it’s widely assumed she’ll be the sport’s next big thing. Think Coco Gauff a few years back.

The boys, competitive in more ways than one, lustily chase after the phenom, and later that night in their hotel room she seductively poses a challenge: The player who wins the men’s final gets her number.

Their scandalous story isn’t told linearly, though. More than a decade in the future, down-on-his-luck Patrick is sleeping in his car and playing small challenger tournaments to squeeze out a buck to buy dinner.

A devastating injury killed Tashi’s career, while unassuming Art, now her husband, has become a multiple slam winner who’s begun to struggle and is toying with retirement. Tashi, more concerned with victory than romantic love, is his vicious coach.

Then, Art and Patrick — now bitter nemeses — unexpectedly face off at the challenger tourney. And all sorts of dormant tensions between the three athletes reemerge.

Guadagnino revels in strange relationships, such as the taboo age-separation in “Call Me By Your Name” and the smitten cannibals of “Bones and All.” 

On the surface, “Challengers” would appear to be your average smoldering love triangle film, but, true to form, it’s a lot more complicated than that. There’s a “Will they? Won’t they?” vibe with just about everybody. 

And tennis, wrongly seen by many as a polite country club hobby, is visualized as violent and animalistic — a bloodsport of vengeance and repressed desire.

Getting that across beautifully, the director and cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom shoot matches in badass ways. During one point, we watch from the perspective of the ball being brutally pummeled by the two guys.

Using words rather than rackets, the three sly actors attack each other with their conniving and tactical performances. 

Tashi, who talks more about tennis than her marriage or child, cares solely about winning. Even sex for her is a form of match manipulation. Zendaya, perfectly cast, is siren-like and terrifying — a real “coffee is for closers only” type.

And O’Connor and Faist, who I bet will explode similarly to Barry Keoghan, forge a believable bond that, as their friendship fades, becomes even more intense.

Because “Challengers” is, at its core, a sports movie, the last scene will rile up some people because the final result is not entirely clear.

However — and I could be wrong! — after the high-stakes tiebreak in the end, I walked away certain that something vital had been fixed, not broken.