How Challengers Revolutionized the Thriller

Boring movie. Great analysis!

Comment for the algorithm. Great vid, as always!

I ADORE the fact that Pat is a "femme fatale"!

the children yearn to yearn

The reason is collective political trauma. As in, only a tiny percentage of the world is in a mindset right now to explore ideas that only those who feel safe and content enough to be frivolous.

The last seduction
You can thank me later

I'm sure I'm not alone in this but I watched the movie SOLELY because I wanted to hear your analysis of it. I'm pretty Offline these days (no social media presence) so I actually didn't see any of the trailers or lead up to the movie. I didn't even really know what it was about, and got whiplash from how hot and gay it was (though this is beside the point and I think I'm just still on the post-Challengers come down).
All this to say, I enjoy your content so much it compelled me to spend over 2 hours watching a movie I knew nothing about just to hear you yap about it. And it did not disappoint!!! Thanks for another banger, Maia (& co.). Respectfully, your brain is so big and beautiful.

This is dope and so are you, your analysis is so cool relating the ending to how we currently handle eroticism in society. Never thought of this film that way, excellent

I’m positive that whoever cast this movie has never seen actual tennis players before.

I wasn't planning on watching this film but now i think i will! Also if anybody is ever curious about the "You must remember this" podcast, you cannot go wrong checking it out. This is a decades long film critics who built her career out of analyzing cinema. Her insights are unparalleled and the the holistic historical context she brings to the background Weaves a perfect introduction to why the films mattered.

Amazing vid!

Entertainment industry's current misogyny fest, both overt and subtle, will go unnoted.

My favourite movie as a kid was Road to El Dorado. My favourite TV show is Devilman Crybaby and my favourite movie now is Challengers. By favourite, I would more so say guilty pleasure. I’ve rewatched all of these recently because despite being completely different in many aspects, these three pieces of media seem similar to me. I’ve concluded that this dynamic is my favourite - two opposite men in appearance of personality, maybe friends but maybe more if the opportunity presented. In Challengers & RTE, a female love interest involved perceived as a villain. An involvement of sport, themes of friendship, jealousy and love. In Challengers and DMCB, the use of loud music that seems too loud for the scene at hand, heavy handed foreshadowing that only becomes obvious the second watch, and an ending that ties back to previous events. But I think the thing that really ties it together for me is what you’ve described here; the use of eroticism as a tool for storytelling rather than shock value or entertainment. Great video as always ❤

Challengers wasn’t my favorite, maybe I just didn’t “get it,” but the eroticism and feeling of romance and desire between the characters is similar to what I loved in Bones and All. For that, I appreciate it.

challengers is wonderful and fun but it ended so self-indulgent and campy (you talked about this). Instead of show don't tell about all the cheating the movie both showed and telled, there was so much cheating I started judging all the dumb characters. And the prolonged montage of the 1 on 1 match with the boys, all the contrived tension when we know they love each other and it doesn't matter who wins, it ended more as a fun goofy sexy movie than a thriller

its the era of the YEARNERS

I usually agree with this channel but this movie was boring. Even just two scenes where I felt the men and her (each separately) show even the slightest moment of actual affection would of gone a long way. I didn’t care if any of them ended up together and I didn’t care who won. The edits were desperate to try and make it feel like more was happening. Her talking so emphatically about tennis during s.x felt contrived. The ending was so silly I couldn’t comprehend it. One of them falling on the other? Cheesy at best, almost camp. It didn’t feel like the queer element was coming from the story but that the director liked it stylistically… queer bating. The only thing that saved it was that the actors all had great acting chemistry with each other, but chemistry isn’t enough to save this one for me.

Can you do a video on HBO's Girls? Would love to hear your take(s)

Would you consider making a video about your process when making your videos and scripts for vids / analysis?

This essay is masterpiece ❤❤

I haven't read most of the comments, so I don't know if I'm the only one who thinks this: It is also much closer to Whiplash -- which may also be read as a thriller under the framework used here. There's definitely a lot of danger, to be sure. The ending is very much like Whiplash --- though more abrupt. Still, you know the made good music on the court, and as a viewer you know all three of them knew it.

Potion seller I require your most erotic screenplay.

This was a great video! Thank you

My parents first date was them playing tennis together.

hell ya i had to wait till i saw it to watch this one

personally i thought after z screams she changed her expression and that was the answer/release people were looking for, that it didn’t actually matter who won in the same way nobody really wins in sex or relationships
“tennis is relationships”

Trent Reznor was the perfect choice for the soundtrack. Nine Inch Nails were always gods of tension & release.

I don't watch anything from the same guy who directed a film that glamorized pedophilia and grooming. Plus I don't think Zendaya's a good actress and the other two aren't anything to look at.

Another point of comparison might be Bull Durham, the other great sports love triangle film.

I'm so torn on this film. it teetered between being a great thriller and just being outright silly. The music and sound effects were just a bit over the top: the kissing was just so loud and squishy 😅

I find it amusing that people in their 20s that are reviewing films find a movie that is so bland and unoriginal as to have revolutionised thrillers. An undeveloped girl who has about as much charisma as pee wee Herman. A girl who thinks Snow White should be of colour! Really? Cinema is at the lowest point in history. It’s transfixed on race and gender. It’s lacking originality and high on censorship. I’m positive that there’s still great stories and writers out there but until Hollywood gets their head out of their backsides, stop pandering to a very loud minority, originality will suffer and so will cinema
PS stop talking like you’re the ghost from the grudge. Seriously annoying

we desire to keep on desiring. The video would be soooooooooo much better if you included lacanian psychoanalysis

this movie was so boring fr. None of the characters were sexy

This film made me attracted to men

We Kill For Love is an excellet recent documentary on erotic thrillers if anyone is interested!

beautiful essay ! 💕

Ms. Deschanel you're pioneering a new version of sex ed here.
- when i was a kid, a friend asked ive seen Monster's Ball..-no why? "YOU GET TO SEE HALLE BARRY'S TI..!!!"

Challengers is made for gooners confirmed!

like for mentioning my boy sam levinson

Lol I was expecting her to butcher it and it's almost perfect? Only said mama and not mamá, which is still valid? Vamo a calmarno

Repressive desublimation?

broey babe, wld u hate me if i asked u to list the movies u show scenes from?

Guys I understand it's annoying that I pronounce words wrong - but I'm from Canada, I have a Canadian accent, and I don't speak Spanish at all. I'm obviously not trying to offend anyone - that is legitimately how I've always heard Y Tu Mamá También pronounced in the anglicized way. I'm not able to slip into a perfect Spanish accent mid-video.