Origin and release year: United States (2024 – Challengers)
Starring: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, Jordan Thompson, Faith Fay, Hailey Gates, Tierre Diaz, A. J. Lister, Cameen M Copeland, Naheem Garcia, Ian Dylan Hunt, Jason Hewitt, Christine Dye, Jake Jensen
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Screenwriter: Justin Kuritzkes
Synopsis: Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, turned her husband into a champion. But to overcome a losing streak, he needs to face his ex-best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend. (IMDb)
When the first trailer for Challengers was released back in the Summer of 2023, the anticipation was palpable. Not only because Hollywood mega star Zendaya plays lead role for another feature film but also for that scene. You know the one. The one where Zendaya sits between Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, a flirty smirk on her face before a sensual make out session begins. The scene turned into memes ten times over, practically carrying the film’s marketing on its back. For months this scene has simmered in the public’s mind, making us all wonder “What happens next?” Challengers ends up being more than just the hotel scene you’ve seen over and over on social media, unraveling into a romantic drama that keeps you on your toes from start to finish.
The film follows a non-linear structure, following the complex relationships between all three characters across more than a decade. While the film gets a bit lost in this form, Challengers succeeds in maintaining a level of suspense throughout. Big moments and realizations pack a punch with enough context that informs how it affects the story and its characters. Zendaya hinted to such a scene on her Instagram with the caption “if you know, you know.” What’s most interesting is we are instantly thrust into the relationship dynamics on the tennis court. Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig facing off to settle a score, Tashi Duncan on the sidelines watching, knowing this isn’t just another tennis match for any of them.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s heavy EDM score adds to the tense build up, the bass practically vibrating through the movie theater on first watch. Known famously for their work on The Social Network (which won them the Academy Award for Best Original Score), Gone Girl, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Challengers marks the third time the duo has teamed up with director Luca Guadagnino (the first being Suspiria (2018) and Bones and All (2022)). The soundtrack is most successful during the actual tennis matches, where slow-mo shots of Mike Faist (Art Donaldson) and Josh O’Connor’s (Patrick Zweig) faces frame the screen, their eyes filled to the brim with intensity as Zendaya conveys a worrying anxiety hidden behind sunglasses. It is a spectacle beautifully crafted on film. While the score is enjoyable on its own, there are moments its placement feels awkward. Subtle, more soft spoken scenes that don’t require as much energy get muddled in the beats taking away a bit from the tone the film is trying to convey. I suppose the strangest moments of these tennis scenes are the many perspective shots of the audience as the tennis ball being volleyed from one end of the court to the other. These camera shots are a bit silly at best but I understand the intensions. To feel the intensity, you have to be the intensity. Also, how many more slow-mo shots can be done before it becomes the longest tennis ad in history?
The biggest blunder this film will need to answer for is the one note treatment of the pivotal character Tashi Duncan. Tashi is introduced as the next big thing in tennis and hopeful for a future in the pro leagues. It is clear tennis is Tashi’s life and despite her good intentions to receive an education, by the end of the film Tashi accepts that tennis is all she really knows which makes her injury all the more heartbreaking. My only wish is the film explored more of Tashi’s grief and given her a moment of vulnerability. What does she really feel from this dream being faltered? It’s clear from the film Tashi vicariously lives her tennis dreams through Art but it’s more of a conclusion the audience has to reach rather than Tashi saying how she feels. In film, the old adage “show, don’t tell” is drilled into the mind, but when you have a character driven drama it is important to actually flesh out those characters. Zendaya does a stellar job in playing Tashi. She is assertive, determined, and devilishly manipulative but that is pretty much her character throughout the film. She starts and ends the film this same person and I can’t help but feel there was a missed opportunity. Zendaya has played these types of characters before, so I was left craving a different side to her performance. Zendaya has been receiving critical praise for this role and I definitely think she will have more opportunities to flesh out her skills very soon in her career.
“Tennis is a relationship,” Tashi Duncan, Zendaya’s character declares on a beach scene and this line truly encapsulates the heart of the film. All three characters, by choice or circumstance, have chosen tennis as their life and it reinforces how they navigate their relationships. Saying “I miss playing with you” in the sauna can mean “I miss our friendship,” or something much, much more. It’s exciting to have a romantic drama causing so much discussion over social media. From questioning Tashi’s motivations to declaring if you’re #TeamArt or #TeamPatrick, it’s safe to say that audiences were craving an original story like this. Overall, Challengers is a sexy and exciting watch that will only keep you thinking about it for days. I know I am.
What did you think of Challengers? Let us know in the comments!