Written by: Justin Kuritzkes
Starring: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, Darnell Appling, Shane Harris, Nada Despotovich
Rating: [4/5]
Within every relationship, the parties involved carry different aims as to what makes them stay in it whether altruistic or grievously selfish. Some do this transparently, while others choose to hide for their own purposes. Challengers presents quite the trio as it delves into the intricacies of their dynamics to each other that gets incredibly messy and very competitive as it revolves around tennis. Wildly entertaining and boasting some strong performances, this film proves both exhilarating and satisfying in equal measure.
Both very talented and having bright futures in tennis, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) go and watch the match of rising star and wonderfully attractive Tashi Duncan (Zendaya). Both captivated by her talents and beauty, the pair seek to grab her attention and as we move into the future, we see the fallout of their dynamics.
Tennis, like boxing, carries a uniqueness in how it plays and the individuals who dedicate their lives to the sport. Very much an individual sport in defining success, but also victory gets gained through the pure defeat of another. It does not take place in an arena where it involves teammates who can screw things up for you. Victory and defeat get decided by the action or inaction by the two individuals on the field, which makes things somewhat personal as one person stands between you and success. This creates an exhilarating dynamic that Challengers plays right into, especially between Patrick and Art in the way they see the game of tennis but also their pursuit of Tashi throughout this film.
Saying these two pursue Tashi gives the illusion of her being some prize to be won over that lacks agency, but as we see throughout this film, she maintains the ultimate control in every moment here as she just wants to play and watch some good tennis. She carries this drive within her that others cannot match and without giving too much away from the plot, she ensures she delivers this even when not on the court. It gives rise to an incredible Zendaya performance where she completely provides something different from anything else in her career. She captivates as Tashi both on and off the court in the way she maintains this seriousness in everything she does. Tashi carries this focus that barely allows her to smile, which makes the instances she does even more calculating. Trying to get to the center of what she wants from each action she takes makes for much of the intrigue this film has to offer as she continues to play with Art and Patrick. She remains clear about her end goal but the manner in which she does it raises some questions. Zendaya absolutely dazzles in this role.
As with any sports film, the way the action gets captured sets itself up for scrutiny. While no expert in tennis and very much a casual observer, Challengers does well in displaying the explosiveness involved in succeeding within the sport. This happens especially with Tashi as they display the pure and raw power she displays when she takes on opposition. A level of intensity that may not always show itself immediately when watching it on television. It makes those grunts tennis players famously audibly display make much more sense given how much of themselves they exert when they strike the ball. Luca Guadagnino employs some intriguing and fun approaches in displaying these deeply personal matches, especially the central one that constantly gets featured throughout the film between Art and Patrick. From having the camera serve as the ball as they smack it back to each other and all the glistening sweat, everything feels heightened and with good reason. Guadagnino does get a little too happy with all the use of slow-motion where it becomes excessive but we can easily forgive it.
As much of the promotion of the film has alluded to, this film carries so much sexual tension as it sits on the precipice of bursting in early every frame involving these characters. This makes itself evident in the way Art and Patrick view Tashi, but the feelings they have for each other makes itself very prevalent on several occasions. These sexual feelings play into the decision-making of each of these characters and it comes to no surprise Tashi finds a way to use it to her advantage and ultimately the goals and aims she seeks to achieve.
Such an enjoyable film from top to bottom, Challengers lives in its messiness as it continually intertwines this trio of characters in a game of sexual gratification and competition. My exclusion of the word “love” in the previous sentence is quite intentional, despite some of the decisions made by the characters in the film. Through each swing, every look, and bead of sweat, this script by Justin Kuritzkes carries so much intentionality, which makes it a perfect fit with Luca Guadagnino’s directing style seeing as this filmmaker refuses to be pigeonholed in any genre.
Films with Josh 
