Film Review: Challengers

Five Stars

By Joseph Beyer | May 4, 2024

Sexual tension smashes back onto the big screen in Challengers, the much-hyped love triangle drama set within the world of professional tennis. What makes the film somewhat remarkable (among other things), is how Italian director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) and his cast achieve this sensual landscape without the usual titillating R-rated visuals. Instead, by focusing on the intensity of desire itself as a psychological act, Challengers becomes a multi-hyphenated success—a terrific coming of age story, sports drama, and cinematic erotica all at once.

At the center as the object of everyone’s desire is artist Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a Serena Williams-like tennis player bound for professional dominance and endorsement deals. As Tashi, Zendaya delivers another fascinating portrayal here (also starring in the blockbuster Dune franchise early this spring). Her intensity as a young player destined for greatness is matched only by the character’s intolerance for those who can’t find the edge to win. Tashi’s drive as a player is first physical, then mental, and finally emotional as she observes, “It’s not a game; tennis is a conversation.”

Deconstructing that “conversation” becomes the puzzle of the Challengers plot, which is elegantly simple but surprisingly complex when two best friends have the misfortune of falling for Tashi at the same time. The brash and boldest of the two is Patrick, played by actor John O’Connor (last seen as Prince Charles in the Netflix series The Crown). Patrick is a passion player who favors intimidation and instincts over training and routine, never fully playing by the rules or achieving his full potential.

His best friend in sport and life is Art Donaldson, played by actor Mike Faist (last seen as the lead in Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game). Art is the junior, looking up to Patrick and using him as a guide in growing up and “painting the lines.”

Their surprise rivalry begins in high school when the awkward but talented players see Tashi’s greatness for the first time in person and pour their dynamic-duo energy at her, hoping one of them will get lucky enough to catch her eye.

Amused and in control, Tashi uses her own sexuality to draw both in and what follows is a sort of Y tu mamá también for the metrosexual fluidity of our modern times. Their tête-à-tête blends intimacy and competition into one overlapping battle as the friends find themselves facing off in unexpected and dangerous territory.

Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes uses love and sport interchangeably in the narrative, while director Guadagnino’s frenetic and visceral visuals bring tennis to life in ways you can’t understand until you experience the jump scare of a serve for the first time in your life. Adding to the overall and unique moodiness is a brilliant score from collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who won best Oscar for their music to the 2010 hit The Social Network). It all works to create a dreamworld that could only exist in the movies, and a fast paced ride even at 2 hours and 11 minutes.

There is a brightness to the film’s energy that feels hot and dangerous without ever being pornographic, reminding us again that the most powerful aphrodisiac is still our imagination.