How To Make Your Audience Care - A Challengers Analysis
A few months ago, Kinolime published my analysis of Past Lives, the screenplay written (and directed) by Celine Song. Today, we’re shifting the spotlight to her husband, Justin Kuritzkes, and his script for the 2024 tennis blockbuster Challengers. Move over, Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig - there’s a new power couple vying for the throne. There must be a lot going on at home, because like Past Lives, today we’re examining another complex love triangle.
I’ll break down the screenplay’s primary strength: its ability to captivate the audience through its characters. While I think this script is exceptional, it’s impossible to overstate how much Luca Guadagnino’s direction elevated the final product. If you’ve only watched the film, you might be surprised to learn that several key scenes didn’t make the cut. Compared to the movie, the screenplay outlines emotional growth with far greater clarity, relying less on subtext and omitting a lot of the erotic undertones. In short - this screenplay is a Shakespearean love triangle - two testosterone fuelled men competing for one woman’s affection. The film, however, takes it further, crafting a triangle in its truest sense, where romance and envy flow in every direction.
Kuritzkes isn’t naive - he knows most moviegoers are only vaguely familiar with tennis, its rules, or the minutiae of the professional circuit. So this story has to be ALL. ABOUT. CHARACTER, not only in order to make us understand, but to make us care.
OPENING IMAGE
The story opens with a tense tennis match, observed intently by Tashi Donaldson (née Duncan). On the left side of the court is Patrick Zweig. On the right is Art Donaldson. We don’t know who these people are to her, but she’s participating like it’s life or death.
See how much care is put into introducing the trio. It’s less about explaining the competition and more about describing who they are. Concisely, we learn a great deal about these people.
We learn that this match is worth ‘a measly 80 ranking points and a check for $7,200.’ Is that impressive? Underwhelming? So long as the characters treat it as significant, then it’s bound to feel crucial to the audience.
SET UP
The stage is set: Patrick and Art are battling for something far bigger than victory. From the outset, we’re drawn to speculate on what that might be, and it doesn’t take long to find out.
We discover that Art is Tashi’s husband, but this triangle is complicated - something unspoken and intimate is playing out on the court. They’re performing for her, not for themselves. It’s captivating, it’s scandalous. And we’re hooked.
Then we take a biiiiiig step back and realize this was an in media res cold open - the story started in the middle. The Phil’s Tire Town Challenger final is a pivotal moment in a larger narrative, one we’ll periodically revisit with added context as the story unfolds. From here, we’re transported to a point one week earlier.
Art’s life is entirely orchestrated by his wife and manager, Tashi. His days are a regimented routine - waking up to nutritionist-approved liquids and diving straight into workouts. It’s a cold, efficient system, not unlike Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. We learn he’s set to face an unproven 18-year-old Du Maurier in today’s match, while also recovering from a long-term injury. The weight of expectations presses on him from every direction.
Ken, the physiotherapist, confidently expects Art to crush Du Maurier - and Tashi, in far less polite terms, does too. Right away, it’s clear that Tashi struggles to distinguish Art’s goals from her own.
We smash cut directly to the information that, despite all odds, Art has been comprehensively dispatched by his junior opponent. In a fancy hotel, he and Tashi watch the game back.
Art doesn’t seem particularly fazed, even as Tashi threatens to pull him from the US Open. It becomes clear that Tashi, a former player herself, now lives vicariously through her husband. His performance reflects on her ability as much as his own.
We meet the couple’s unnamed daughter, who points out that they never do anything but talk about tennis - a fact that holds true. There is no chemistry or anything substantial about their relationship. Tashi compromises with Art, entering him into a Challengers tournament ahead of the Open as a means to build confidence and gain some momentum.
Juxtaposed against the luxury of their hotel, Patrick finds his card declined at a run-down motel. With nothing to his name, he’s forced to sleep in his car - only to be moved along by a security guard. After a restless night and a McDonald’s breakfast, he couldn’t be more unprepared compared to Art. As he signs up for the tournament, we learn that he was once a promising prodigy, but his career has since faded.
To make matters worse, Patrick doesn’t even have the entry fee. He’s forced to beg an ATP Official to let him use his potential earnings to register. This guy is truly down on his luck.
INCITING INCIDENT
With the two male protagonists established and the audience torn between who to feel more sympathy for, a subtle inciting incident confirms that Art and Patrick aren’t just entering the same tournament - they may very well face each other on the court.
I love how this acts as a catalyst for the story - it sets up something we already anticipate, but provides essential context to the opening. Art, the starboy with fading passion, and Patrick, the perennial underachiever, share a history best summed up by the word ‘fuck.’ This isn’t a bombastic moment, it’s subtle, yet the entire narrative could be negated if Patrick walks away.
He doesn’t.
DEBATE
Back at Phil’s Tire Town, Patrick maintains his early lead, and Art’s frustration builds. He’s issued a verbal warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
We flashback fifteen years earlier, when Art and Patrick were 16 or 17, playing doubles in the U.S. Open Boys’ competition. Watching them play together rather than compete provides a striking inversion of the rivalry we’ve seen so far, offering a glimpse into the history we’ve only imagined until now. Their friendship is the core of the story, so we need to build it up before we can tear it down.
Kuritzkes visually explores their approach to tennis, highlighting the contrasts in their youth that foreshadow their irreparable differences as adults. These contrasting qualities could either complement each other in balancing weaknesses or drive them apart if utilised independently.
They claim victory, solidifying both their championship status and their deep friendship. The media showers them with praise, and they bask in their brief moment of glory.
The ‘debate’ section feels chaotic, stirring questions: do we want them to be friends, or do we prefer them as enemies? Who instigated this rivalry? What happened to cause this divide? As soon as we have a moment to settle, Kuritzkes begins to answer that question;
Art acknowledges that Patrick is the stronger player and hopes that when they face off tomorrow, the loss won’t be entirely humiliating. The name on everyone’s lips is Tashi Duncan, tipped to secure victory this year - and she’s the reason Patrick brought them here.
BREAK INTO TWO
As Tashi effortlessly dominates her opponents and flaunts her sponsorship deal, both men are instantly captivated by her. Patrick ‘saw her first’, but all is fair in love and war.
As we transition into Act Two, we have ascertained the impetus and destination of this complex relationship, now it’s time to fill in the blanks - and that’s where the real fun begins.
FUN AND GAMES
The two leads quickly take notice of Tashi and begin flirting with her. She’s blunt, making them both feel like they’re beguiling her while simultaneously playing them against one another. Art is pleasantly surprised to learn Tashi isn’t going pro next year - she’s heading to Stanford, just like him. She extends an invitation to a party later that evening.
Patrick, the more shrewd of the two, urges Art to skip the party, hoping to be the sole focus of Tashi’s attention when he attends solo. They arrive at the party, dressed to impress and eager to outdo each other. Winning Tashi’s affections quickly surpasses their on-court rivalry, with the prestige and allure proving far more valuable to both of them.
They pull Tashi away from the partygoers to share a smoke. With a sharp eye, she playfully analyzes the pair - fire and ice - breaking down their tactics and habits with incredible precision. While she seems more drawn to Patrick as a potential love interest, she clearly favours Art’s particular brand of tennis. Maybe she is initially drawn to Patrick because he’s her opposite, wild and untrainable, whereas she ends up moving toward Art because he’s more malleable.
When Tashi tries to excuse herself, both men quickly jump in to ask for her number. She hesitates, claiming she doesn’t want to be ‘a homewrecker.’ They describe their friendship as an ‘open relationship.’ In response, she promises to give her number to whoever wins their match the following day - dramatically raising the stakes. To Tashi, tennis isn’t just a sport; it’s her life, and life is business. She approaches this decision like she’s considering Nike or Adidas sponsors.
Now, the stakes mirror the Phil’s Tire Town fixture fifteen years in the future - two men competing not just for personal glory, but to impress someone who values the sport far more deeply than they do. Patrick wins, but this outcome feels far from conclusive, especially considering with whom Tashi eventually ends up.
We cut to the week before the climactic confrontation, where Patrick easily dispatches his first opponent. Nobody is there to watch him. After using the site facilities, he idly swipes on Tinder, hoping to find someone to let him stay the night. He invites a date to the Ritz Carlton, fulfilling his wish of crossing paths with Tashi while he’s there.
He interrupts his date to speak with her. We’ve met them at a point where we don’t really know what exists between them anymore - we understand Tashi is married to Art and they have a daughter - but what is Patrick to her? Is he just a rival, like he is to Art? Or something else?
We pick up on the lingering chemistry they once shared, but it feels forbidden now. Tashi finds herself justifying entering Art into this competition, over-explaining herself and betraying a hint of weakness through unresolved feelings.
Years earlier, Art bombarded Patrick with questions about his newly formed relationship with Tashi. Patrick claims he doesn’t kiss and tell, and that Tashi would end things if he shared any details. Art proposed the following:
In response, Patrick confirms that they consummated the relationship by mimicking Art’s tic - placing the tennis ball in the centre of the racket before serving. He won’t part with any further information, leaving Art jealous and hungry.
Moving into 2007, Art and Tashi have lunch in the Stanford cafeteria. Art remains perplexed as to why Tashi hasn’t gone pro yet. She correctly senses a change in Art’s dynamic with Patrick, though with her boyfriend absent on the pro circuit, she doesn’t see them together often. When Tashi picks up on something being off, he seizes the moment to suggest that Patrick may be unfaithful.
Tashi calls him out for being a terrible friend, easily seeing through his shallow attempt to poach her from Patrick. When Patrick eventually visits, Art’s desire for Tashi is thinly concealed. He attempts to pit them against each other, suggesting to both that the other is less committed.
Patrick embraces the challenge - he sees through Art’s plot and admits he’d do the same if their roles were reversed. He invites the competition and urges Art to channel that passion into his tennis. Despite his swagger, Tashi and Patrick do find themselves fighting. Tashi criticizes a recent loss, growing increasingly concerned that his raw potential may never evolve into anything more substantial.
Tashi demands that Patrick push harder, as his losses become a source of embarrassment for her. It becomes evident that her desire is to be his manager, not his girlfriend. Emasculating him by pitting him against Art is no longer an effective means of control. With their relationship established, Patrick feels like king of the castle, lacking the drive he once had to succeed.
He ends the argument by sarcastically wishing her well - ‘break a leg!’
MIDPOINT
The midpoint serves as a turning point, where the male leads must confront what truly matters to them. When Art finds out that Patrick isn’t attending Tashi’s match, he asks where he is. Patrick texts back, ‘Had a big fight. Now’s your chance, bro. Good luck :)’ - which opens the door for Art.
In the midst of Tashi’s game, in which she’s cruising to yet another victory without breaking a sweat, she makes the tiniest miscalculation - with horrifying consequences.
This moment changes everything. Tashi is suddenly sidelined, unable to focus on her career as her personal life takes precedence. For Patrick, his ‘leg break’ comment couldn’t have been more ill-timed. Art positions himself at Tashi’s side, distancing Patrick and signaling a definitive shift in their relationship.
Now is a good moment to reflect on where we stand with the characters. Who are we rooting for? The answer isn’t clear - each lead has both appealing and off-putting traits, making them feel authentic. Your support may shift depending on your perspective, experiences, or personal preferences. Kuritzkes leaves it up to the audience, offering no easy answers. We’re simply along for the ride.
BAD TO WORSE
In the present, Art starts closing the gap in Patrick’s lead. Patrick, feeling the pressure, loses his composure and lashes out at the umpire over a marginal call - accusing them of being part of the Art Donaldson fan club.
A couple of months after Tashi’s injury, she is determined to return to the court. She becomes aggressive with Art, demanding he pushes harder, but when he picks up the pace, she further aggravates her injury.
Art seizes the opportunity to solidify his advancements with Tashi. Knowing she’s too distracted to consider him romantically, he aligns himself professionally—suggesting she coach him. This arrangement allows her to channel her tennis obsession while maintaining proximity, ultimately benefiting Art’s game. It’s a win-win situation. However, as Tashi is unceremoniously expelled from the sport, she falls into a dark place. She turns to drinking and smoking as a coping mechanism.
In their early 20s, Art continues to thrive professionally with Tashi by his side. Meanwhile, Patrick is noticeably absent from this period, his relationship with both of them entirely severed. Tashi believes Art would triumph over Patrick if they were to compete today, though he remains uncertain - a hesitation that will remain with him for years to come.
In the present, Patrick loses the second set to Art. Tashi is pleased to see his meltdown. A week prior, Patrick encounters Tashi and asks her to become his coach.
She responds by slapping him across the face and telling him he should quit tennis.
She’s aggressive toward him, calling him names and harshly criticizing his professional and personal behavior, suggesting he’s worthless. Patrick surprises her by responding with empathy - asking if she’s okay, noting how on edge she always seems whenever he sees her. He speculates that she might be discontent with her life, perhaps even resentful of her husband for silently giving up.
As Tashi begins to wind down the conversation, Patrick shifts tactics. When he realizes he won’t win her over, he starts to get under her skin. He knows Art is nothing without Tashi, so by distracting her, he effectively neuters his rival. He understands that a loss to his former friend will be the final straw in shattering Art’s spirit - and that it will ultimately tear his marriage with Tashi apart as well.
This conversation spans nearly nine pages and feels like the beating heart of Act 2B. While it delves into the characters’ emotions, motivations, and perhaps lacks subtle subtext, it delivers a pivotal moment - a single line that becomes the focal point for much of the remaining screenplay. Patrick’s question, ‘Does Art know about Winston-Salem?’ emerges mid-argument, not as a question but as a weapon. Tashi’s swift avoidance and attempt to move forward suggest that it cuts deep. But what does it mean?
We jump back to find the answer, landing in Winston-Salem in 2011. Patrick watches from the stands as Tashi and Art train, his very presence unsettling them. We learn that Patrick has been knocked out in the quarterfinals, but stuck around to watch Art advance to the final. What stands out here is how, when offered compliments, Art redirects them toward Tashi - almost as though he has become an extension of her, or a tool for her to wield.
He regards her more as a coach than a lover, and even after they’re married, tennis continues to dominate their relationship. Tashi struggles with insomnia and finds solace at the hotel bar, where Patrick approaches her. He’s disappointed to learn about their engagement;
She tells him before the engagement is made public, hoping to wound him. Patrick still harbors a belief that his potential surpasses Art’s tangible successes. Tashi mourns not only her own lost potential but also Patrick’s. Achieving success through Art is all that remains for her now. She’s on the eve of what should be a crowning achievement, preparing to get married, and she has to ask herself… what’s next?
BREAK INTO THREE
In the days before Phil’s Tire Town, Patrick finds Art in the steam room, asking his once-friend not to ‘demolish him tomorrow’ - mimicking their earlier wager. It’s unclear here if Patrick is genuinely trying to mend the relationship, or if he’s just here to aggravate and disrupt his opponent. He belittles Art for his grudge, reminding him who Tashi initially chose, reminding Art that he’s never beaten Patrick on the court.
So as we move into three, we’re on the eve of the final. Things are heating up, and it’s not just the steam room.
FINALE
We get a glimpse into Tashi letting her guard down, spending time with her daughter - laughing, telling stories, and being a mother - a stark contrast to her usual composure. Now, it’s Art who seems a million miles away from anything but work. Tennis has become a relentless pursuit, a constant pressure. The thought of losing to Patrick gnaws at him, consuming his thoughts.
Art does the worst thing he can do - he confirms the things that Patrick has been whispering in He confesses he’s tired, that he wants to quit professional tennis this year, win or lose. She acquiesces, but understands he needs a coach, not a wife to get him through this.
Here it is - the stakes we’ve been building towards for 111 pages. Why does this little Challengers competition mean so much? Because of everything riding on it. For Art, it’s his career, his marriage, his identity. For Patrick, it’s a shot at redemption, a chance to prove he still belongs. And for Tashi, it’s more than just a victory; it’s the culmination of a dream deferred - a chance to live vicariously through Art slipping away as her role as a coach hangs in the balance.
This is brilliant writing, and it's what makes so many people invested in a sports drama like this. Not because they love tennis, or because it's an inspiring underdog story, but because the characters are rich, complex, and deeply engaging.
Tashi cuddles Art to sleep, then leaves the hotel. She texts Patrick to collect her. He picks her up in his car, expecting this to be a late night booty call. Instead, hat in hand, she asks him to throw the match against Art.
Patrick is incredulous and disappointed at her request. However, she remains deadly serious, going so far as suggesting she will sleep with him if it guarantees Art’s victory. We intercut with the third (and final) set of Phil’s Tire Town. A set apiece and it’s neck and neck in the decider.
As Patrick drives Tashi back to the hotel, they dress each other down, first with hot, scathing words and then… well, literally. Patrick agrees to throw the game.
Ironically, it seems like this act of infidelity is the most selfless thing Tashi does in the entire film.
Then we’re back in the thick of the action. Art holds a slender lead, but make no mistake - Patrick is doing anything but willingly losing. This is war. And that’s why Tashi sits in the front row, her stomach turning, knowing she slept with Patrick based on a promise he has no obligation to keep.
With everything on the line, Patrick pauses for a long, agonizing moment. Enough to earn a stern Umpire warning. Enough to show that he’s truly reflecting on his next move. And then, he does this;
A private language just for Art, one that says ‘I slept with your wife.’ He serves, and Art stands motionless, letting the ball sail past him unchallenged.
Time stands still as they move into a tiebreak. Tashi can decipher that somehow, Art knows. Everything is on the line, and suddenly, it’s game on between them. They rally, both playing out of their skins to win - tennis fading into the background as the desire to outmatch the other takes precedence.
CLOSING IMAGE
We close as we opened, watching Tashi take in the match from the sidelines. The winner is uncertain, but one thing is clear - she’s never witnessed tennis like this before. The intensity, the raw emotion, the sheer determination - it fires her up. This is the most alive she’s felt since her injury. Maybe she’s lost it all, but in this moment, she knows they’ve given everything.
While the movie emphasizes Art and Patrick’s reconciliation, the screenplay instead focuses on Tashi’s final triumph - her satisfaction in having manipulated events in her favour.
The ending mirrors that of Rocky, where the sport is secondary to the journey of the characters. The ambiguous conclusion reinforces this idea, highlighting that the true focus lies in the personal struggles and emotional stakes, rather than the final outcome.
WHY IT’S EXCELLENT
I can’t overstate enough how well written a 129 screenplay must be to captivate an audience. Sure, attractive cast, thumping soundtrack, IMAX cameras - that all helps. But this could be a script about competitive chess and it could be just as captivating because character is king.
If you’re a writer, you’ll be told there’s a million rules to follow, and Challengers is evidence that you mustn't always bow down to them. Though he has a background writing plays and novels (which is apparent in his writing) this is Kuritzkes’ first screenplay, and it was optioned despite its rule breaking. Take a look at the first page, it’s a wall of text and ‘cuttable’ character description, a red flag for many, but producers with a great nose for story can see past that kind of thing.
This is a rare example where you can see how the screenplay is just a step in the filmmaking process rather than its defining contribution; Guadagnino elevates the already strong writing with his unique flair and visual language. Writers try to make the inner lives and experiences of the characters clear on the page, and sometimes directors and actors will intentionally muddy that for artistic purposes.
It’s not without weaknesses; the screenplay loses some points for explaining away its analogies - likening relationships to a game of tennis should be inherent rather than outright stated, and much of the more direct comparisons have been axed from the final film. Monologues can run quite long, often half a page at a time, and have been decimated or removed entirely from the final picture. There’s always more to learn, and for a maiden screenplay, we will watch Kuritzkes’ career with great interest.
All that said, Challengers is one of the greatest success stories of 2024, a spec script that was swooped up and elevated from indie movie to Hollywood blockbuster. In the spirit of the screenplay, I’ll beat you over the head with it one more time; all this is possible because character is the most important facet of any screenplay.
We award Challengers 4/5. Game, set, and match.
