How far would you go to achieve absolute perfection? Most people who say that there is no limit to the extent to which they’ll strive to attain something, particularly if it revolves around a specific goal that they feel is within their reach. We often find this kind of mentality being present in athletes, since it seems to be a common tendency to want to strive to be the absolute best in your chosen field, even if the mind and body can take a considerable toll in the process. This is something that we find at the core of Bloody Tennis, the fascinating fourth film written and directed by Nikias Chryssos (who has gradually risen to become one of the more exciting voices in contemporary arthouse cinema based on his highly unconventional subjects), who crafts a film that dares to look behind the veneer of professional sports, offering a range of insights into the lengths to which young people are forced to push themselves simply to be able to have a chance at success. The film centres around Sophie, a young woman who is considered something of a tennis prodigy in the United States, and as a result is selected to attend training at an elite tennis academy situated in a deep, remote part of southern Europe, where she and half a dozen other students are put through intensive training by the brutal and unforgiving Stavkos, supervised by the enigmatic and vaguely sinister Mary Tyrone, herself a former tennis champion who is intent on turning each of these young women into stars in their own right. It doesn’t take long for Sophie to realise something is amiss, especially when she begins to notice how these training sessions are less about improvement and more about putting these young women through the wringer, pushing them further than their minds and bodies would allow, in favour of satiating some desire that becomes increasingly more obvious the further Sophie finds herself exploring the origins of this school. A shocking but fascinating blend of psychological thriller, sports drama and body horror, Bloody Tennis is quite an achievement, the kind of subtle but provocative work that pushes the viewer outside of our comfort zone and reveals something much more sinister beneath the surface.

Sport is quite a divisive subject as far as film goes, since there is a tendency to view these stories as being only appealing to a particular portion of the audience, namely those who are already aligned with it as a subject based on their interests outside of the medium. It certainly doesn’t help that it is also a genre that tends to be weighed down by certain techniques and tropes that can sometimes cause it to lean towards the heavy-handed in a way that is not always particularly appealing. However, we do occasionally find examples of films that buck this trend and find ways to be unique and engaging, which is certainly the case with Bloody Tennis, which may revolve around the titular sport, but only in a way that provides some structure to the plot, rather than being an intricate study of tennis and its many (often arbitrary) rules and conventions. The director uses the sport as the foundation for his deeply unnerving coming-of-age story, in which we are introduced to a young protagonist who is seemingly entirely adrift in life – she has been pulled from the comfort of her home and family, and forced to take up residence with a group of people who not only don’t have her best interests at heart, but seem steadily dedicated to her destruction. For an adolescent or someone in early adulthood, navigating everyday life can feel exactly the same, with the sense of loneliness and isolation being a common occurrence amongst those who don’t quite fit into the idealistic mould set out for them. Themes such as competition, companionship and identity are all woven throughout the film, which manages to be surprisingly complex despite working with quite simple subject matter, which proves how the most seemingly straightforward narratives are capable of unexpected depth when given the chance. Chryssos has a strong perspective, and this shows throughout the film, particularly in how it evolves some of its key ideas into a more daring, provocative format.

Chryssos may not be intent on redefining the genre (and considering how the film does have some notable imperfections that may not derail the story but do indicate that he’s still finding his voice as a filmmaker, I don’t think he would actually have been able to achieve that had this been the aim), but he most certainly seems to be having fun in the process. The foundation of Bloody Tennis is to be a genre-bending existential odyssey about a young woman battling against sinister forces as she gradually rises up the ladder of success, before discovering that reaching the top doesn’t immediately give someone the sense of self-satisfaction that they may desire. It’s a simple premise that is supported by some very strong execution, with the film being a well-crafted horror film that knows precisely how to keep the audience in a state of constant suspense. It’s quite stylish, with the director making fantastic use of the locations (with the film being shot in remote parts of both Spain and Germany, creating the very ambiguous setting that matches the film’s more idiosyncratic atmosphere), and working closely with his crew to create the distinct look. There’s a lot of gore in the film, with a very liberal use of blood that becomes almost part of the identity of the film after some time (as evident by the title, which has two meanings that are both incredibly resonant considering the subject matter), meaning that it is not for the faint of heart. It’s never excessive to the point of becoming immoral, but there’s a harshness to the film that eventually begins to consume it, which is all part of the experience. Chryssos is a fantastic filmmaker, and his eye for detail is not without merit, especially in how the film gradually and methodically immerses the viewer in a state of unease; the discomfort is exceptionally effective and one of the many reasons we can appreciate Bloody Tennis as such a provocative and unsettling work.

Bloody Tennis has a strong story and a very sharp approach to bringing its ideas to life on screen, but we also have to acknowledge the fascinating cast, which consists of a blend of newcomers and seasoned veterans. In terms of the former, the film is led by Sandra Guldberg Kampp, who has the unenviable task of playing Sophie, a character who is put through both the physical and emotional wringer, and who acts as our guide through the world of this story. The role required someone who the audience could identify with, but who also was capable of playing into the inherent darkness beneath this character – it’s not surprising that the film has a bleaker ending, and whoever took on the part needed to reflect that, walking that very narrow moral tightrope between being heroic and villainous, which is the core of what makes the film so compelling. Needless to say, she commands the screen; her incredible intensity and ability to tap into something far more sinister beneath a relatively courageous character is absolutely incredible, making her someone who we should pay attention to going forward. Her main adversaries consist of a group of young actors (including Tracy Gotoas, Lily Taieb, Lucie Zhang and a very fun performance from Helena  Zengel), all of whom are very good despite having one-dimensional roles, and the two adult characters, portrayed by Elina Löwensohn, returning to the horror genre after establishing herself as one of the most interesting performers with films such as Nadja (where she was in the position of a young woman forced to navigate hostile social conditions), and the always captivating Zlatko Burić, who abandons the eccentricity to play a far more malicious character, a man who will stop at nothing to achieve what he wants, even if it means betraying those closest to him. It’s an exceptionally strong cast that feels united in how they understand every intricate aspect of what this film required from them.

While it may struggle to live up to a premise that is perhaps most appropriately described as Suspiria set within a prestigious tennis academy, there is very little doubt that Bloody Tennis is a film that is going to appeal to a very specific kind of viewer, particularly those who have an earnest appreciation for more offbeat and unconventional stories. I’m not entirely sure if this will be an immediate sensation, or if it will veer towards becoming a potential cult classic – instinct says the latter, since it seems more appealing as an unhinged, off-the-wall midnight hit rather than something that will be universally appreciated. It certainly will be most endearing to those who enjoy their coming-of-age stories to be a bit more unconventional, with its blood-soaked aesthetic and very deadpan tone (almost to the point where the moments of humour come as a surprise, since it can be quite intense at times) suggesting a more unhinged style being at play throughout the film. It’s a challenging film at times, but it does reward those who have the patience to sit with it – it does help that it has some very effective sequences (the scenes where we see tennis being played are genuinely quite hypnotic, and are some of the most fascinating depictions of the sport being played) and a very unique tone that prevents us from ever entirely knowing where the film is heading next. It’s a fascinating piece of filmmaking, an offbeat and captivating horror film that explores common tropes associated with the coming-of-age and sports drama genres with precision, proving that some of the most interesting stories are often those which seem simple on the surface but take the viewer on a more unexpected journey, which is exactly the case with this highly unorthodox but undeniably very entertaining film.