Bloody Tennis

GAME, SET AND BLOODSUCKING AMBITION Sophie, an American, is admitted to an elite tennis academy hidden high in the mountains of southern Europe.

There, she is forced to contend with fierce competition and brutality among her teammates, as well as the school’s increasingly sinister rituals. Competitive sport is pushed to its limits with bullying, psychological terror, a strict diet, bloodsucking leeches and powerful serves. Sophie learns to do whatever it takes to secure the coveted place at Wimbledon.

Nikias Chryssos (Der Bunker, Rave On) makes his English-language debut with a stylish, absurd and darkly comic body horror film that takes the psychology of elite sport seriously – then pushes it into the grotesque. He describes the film as a reflection of a society where ruthlessness is rewarded more than compassion, where competition and individuality displace community, inspired by real stories of abuse and extreme pressure in sport. Soundtrack by Jim Williams (Titane, Raw, Possessor). The cast includes Danish actress Sandra Guldberg Kampp as Sophie, Golden Globe nominee Helena Zengel, Lucie Zhang (Paris 13:e arrondissement), Zlatko Burić (Triangle of Sadness, Pusher) and Elina Löwensohn (Schindler’s List). The film had its world premiere in Locarno.

Bloody Tennis blends body horror, social satire and absurd elements at an isolated, haunted boarding school where only the hungriest survive.

Sections: Bad & Badass Girls

Genre: Horror, Body Horror, Thriller

Director: Nikias Chryssos

Country: Germany

Year: 2026

Cast: Sandra Guldberg Kampp, Helena Zengel, Lucie Zhang, Lily Taieb, Elina Löwensohn, Zlatko Burić

Running time: 90 min

Language: English dialogue, English subtitles