Challengers and Andy Samberg’s 7 Days in Hell are strangely similar

It sometimes seems surprising that tennis doesn’t inspire more films. The one-on-one gladiatorial battles are inherently dramatic and psychological, while the devious scoring system ensures that no game is lost until it is lost. Exciting climaxes and last-minute twists are integrated into the design. On the other hand, it’s technically difficult to present the fast-paced, see-saw action in a way that’s both exciting and readable – and the same scoring system could drastically confuse anyone who doesn’t follow the sport.

Or perhaps there are only so many tennis stories to tell. After watching it, it’s definitely true challengerthe hot, wildly entertaining new tennis melodrama starring and directed by Zendaya Call me by your nameWith Luca Guadagnino I noticed some surprising similarities to an earlier film. Only this film isn’t a real sports film or even a pseudo-serious piece of prestige pulp challenger. 7 days in hell is a deeply silly 43-minute 2015 HBO mockumentary starring The Lonely Island’s Andy Samberg, streaming on Hulu and Max.

It’s hard to prove my point without comprehensively spoiling either film. You should look at both; They’re both a lot of fun. Let’s just say that both involve a hard-fought, emotionally (and perhaps sexually) charged battle between rival male players that goes the distance – and well beyond. Both films also feature varying degrees of hot threesome action; an absurdly extended, physically impossible rally at the net; and a certain gesture that raises the gear. And they both end in strikingly similar ways, even if the actual results are very, very different.

Perhaps the key to both films’ success is their recognition that tennis, with its strange rituals, hours-long games, muted intensity, and soundtrack of echoing pops, grunts, and smacks, is actually pretty ridiculous. Guadagnino’s film teeters on the edge of high camp for more than two hours, propelled by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ thumping gay club music. 7 days in hell is a total parody; There is no such restraint, if restraint is the right word.

7 days in hell fakes an ESPN 30 for 30-style sports documentary. It’s about the longest match in tennis history, a first-round duel at Wimbledon that lasted seven days. The top seed is Charles Poole (game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington), a tragically dark Brit who carries the nation’s hopes on his shoulders. The Joker is Aaron Williams (Samberg), a down-and-out “bad boy of tennis” like Andre Agassi, who happens to be the adopted brother of Venus and Serena Williams. (In one of many talking head cameos from famous real-world tennis figures, Serena explains that her father, Richard, adopted a white boy off the street and “reverse-engineered” him into a tennis pro Blind side.”) Aaron is on the comeback trail after killing a lines umpire with a 176 mph serve in the 1990s.

7 days in hellSlam’s main target is the absurdly extended matches that the Grand Slam tournaments are known for – particularly Wimbledon, where rain often delayed play until the next day and tiebreaks were only used in the final set in 2019, meaning theoretically endless matches makes possible. The film delights in the absurdity and masochism of playing and watching the sport, as rain, speedsters, traffic accidents, magic tricks and more conspire to trap the two players and their audience in a torturous, week-long death spiral.

The fun comes from 7 days in hellThe extremely broad, even crude humor (you’ll have to enjoy dick jokes – this is a Samberg piece, after all) mixed with its brutal parody of both the tennis world and the sports documentary format. The film’s best gag is a brilliantly crafted digression into the history of Swedish courtroom sketching, delivered with completely serious faces by tennis legends John McEnroe and Chris Evert, as well as the film’s star-studded cast of comic actors. It’s a sly satire of the way doctors can use celebrity and misappropriated expertise as a vehicle for all sorts of barely relevant, unverified information.

Among these self-deprecating speakers, McEnroe is consistently particularly valuable. (His best line: “Aaron probably should have given up after killing a guy. But he didn’t because he’s an asshole.” McEnroe remains undefeated in swearing.) David Copperfield also sends himself up wonderfully. The professional actors are also great: Fred Armisen as All England Club chairman Edward Pudding, MCU veteran Karen Gillan as Charles Poole’s ex-supermodel girlfriend, Mary Steenburgen as his overbearing mother, Lena Dunham as a fashion CEO and an unforgettable turn from Michael Sheen as Caspian Wint, a perverted, chain-smoking British sports presenter. The gentle narration is by Jon Hamm.

Before things get going on matchday seven, the two players will hold a joint press conference. An argument breaks out in which they compete against each other and insult each other. The argument briefly ends in a confused, thwarted embrace. Basically: 7 days in hell And challenger say the same two things. First, while sports are about competition and dominance, there is a fine line between dominance and desire. And secondly: Tennis is absurd.

7 days in hell is streaming on Max, Hulu and YouTube (with a subscription) and can be rented AppleTV, Google Playand other digital platforms.