RATING: B

Shudder presents an Augenschein Filmproduktion film in association with Volcano Films. Written and directed by Nikias Chryssos. Produced by Jonas Katzenstein and Maximillian Leo. Cinematography by Constantin Campean. Edited by Anselm Koneffke.

Stars Sandra Guldberg Kampp, Elina Löwensohn, Tracy Gotoas, Lily Taieb, Lucie Zhang, Helena Zengel, Juliana Vieira-Guerra, with Vincent Romeo and Zlatko Buric.  

A young woman discovers the sinister operation of her new training facility in this wild horror film that blends elements of Suspiria, Challengers, and Jocks.

Sophie is a young woman who has been accepted to join an elite tennis academy in Eastern Europe. Run by former champion Mary Tyrone, Sophie arrives late and is put on blast by Coach Stavkos. Working at the academy is Fred, a very creepy-like figure who does all the behind-the-scenes work. Sophie meets the other students. They are made up of Bana, a woman whom she instantly takes a liking to; Frida, a very outspoken student; Nelly, an arrogant student who strives to be like her mother; Xue, a transplant from China; and Heidi, a drug addict who becomes Sophie’s roommate. 

Sophie eventually proves herself on the courts, besting Frida, who is upset at her loss. Mary informs the girls that they will compete against each other for a spot at Wimbledon. The girls are forced to drink a strange protein shake while eating their meals. When Heidi is accused of destroying Sophie’s rackets, which once belonged to her mother, she is enraged. One night, during a wild party, Heidi attempts to escape but is killed when she is impaled on the fence. Sophie soon begins to discover something isn’t right at the facility. When she learns the horrifying truth, will it be too late for her?

Nikias Chryssos has come up with a very disturbing horror film that starts as a bit of a slow burn, but once the second half picks up, giving the viewer a punch to the gut is quite the understatement. There are a few good dramatic moments in the first half that feel like it could have even come out of Mean Girls, with Lily Taieb’s Nelly being the “Regina George,” with Juliana Vieira-Guerra’s Frida going somewhat unhinged when things don’t go her way and yet seems to be loyal to Nelly.

Danish actress Sandra Guldberg Kampp is perfectly cast as Sophie, our protagonist, who at first feels out of place. However, she soon finds some allies in Lucie Zhang’s Xue and Tracy Gotoas’ Bana. With Bana, it goes as far as a romance. As for Elina Löwensohn’s Mary, she brings this very sinister performance from the moment you see her on screen. You know right away that something is not right with her. The other standout here in terms of creepy factor is, without a doubt, Vincent Romeo’s Fred. 

Horror film fans will definitely find delight in what happens when the girls are slowly “disappearing” in various ways. Helena Zengel’s Heidi gets the brunt of the craziness. As a pill addict, one very shocking scene shows Heidi’s pill bottle full of not pills, but extracted human teeth! Another shocking scene involves the making of the tennis racket strings with… yeah, take a wild guess on that one. But the third act is where it takes such a dark, twisted left turn that it made my jaw drop in the end! 

Bloody Tennis is a pretty good film that can show the dark side of sports but done in a way similar to Dario Argento’s Suspiria, with elements of tennis flicks Challengers and Jocks. Sandra Guldberg Kampp is a face to watch, and Elina Löwensohn and Vincent Romeo amp up the creepy factor.