Director Luca Guadagnino is back with Challengers, another steamy movie that makes full use of his movie stars’ sex appeal. After Call Me By Your Name launched this Italian filmmaker’s career into international popularity in 2017, he has since made a Suspiria remake and reteamed with Timothée Chalamet in Bones and All.
Now, Guadagnino teams with Chalamet’s Dune co-star, Zendaya, for a romantic sports comedy-drama of sorts. It’s the type of movie that only Guadagnino could execute, along with first-time screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes.
Challengers is the horniest movie of the year, bringing Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor into a love triangle that uses every single direction of that triangle. We are introduced to Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), married to Art Donaldson (Faist) with a child. Duncan is a player-turned-coach who enters her husband into a “Challenger” event where he must face off against Patrick (O’Connor), who is Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
This is a straightforward story, but Guadagnino and Kuritzkes don’t make any of this straightforward. Challengers uses a nonlinear narrative structure to enhance everything that’s happening. We begin the movie setting up the tennis match, and as the film progresses, we learn more and more about who these characters are. We learn about who they were as young adults and how they all met. We see how sexually charged this relationship could be during a scene that has become a prominent piece of the marketing when Tashi takes turns kissing both boys.
The performances across the board are stellar. Zendaya has had an incredible film career in the Spider-Man and Dune franchise and has had a long history headlining TV in Shake It Up, K.C. Undercover, and Euphoria. Surprisingly, this is Zendaya’s first time headlining a theatrical film with top billing. She is a movie star. She’s phenomenal. She gives a powerhouse performance as a character we see in multiple stages in her life. We see Tashi as a serious athlete, a fantasy for the boys, and a no-nonsense tennis coach. She nails multiple facets of this person and is magnetic to watch, even as her actions become more and more repugnant as the film goes on.
Faist and O’Connor also meet her at every turn. They also play two very challenging characters who have a rich history with each other and with Tashi. The way they interact with each other changes a lot as the characters grow and mature, and given that they both end up dating the same girl, there is a remarkable amount of tension between them. There are moments of confrontation between them and revelations that continue to make the narrative interesting. Watching this story unravel as we get this demented, toxic relationship between these three people is fun to watch. Tashi is a character who knows how to play the game, both on the court and off.
Guadagnino also helms Challengers with a strong style. It’s his first foray into the sports genre and he directs the tennis matches very well. He finds shots that allow it to feel like we’re not just watching a tennis match on TV. Sometimes, he’ll put the camera right where the net is as both players face off. Sometimes, he’ll make it appear as if the camera has become the ball. That’s the level of craftsmanship he brings to the table, showing off his artistic style that enhances every match. And as the relationships between the characters get richer and richer, each tennis match begins to hold its own emotional weight between the players.
It’s a very funny, entertaining movie that also excels in the serious dramatic moments. He directs the dialogue quite well, but there are also a few times where the musical score can overpower the dialogue. The score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross can sometimes feel at odds with what we’re seeing in the film. However, Challengers remains cinematic dynamite. You can’t look away as Tashi often makes frustrating decisions and Patrick does things that can be quite shocking. Art is the most redeemable character in the film, and he’s the one you can latch onto.
Challengers is filled with sexual content, exciting tennis matches, and it features one of the best setups and payoffs I’ve ever seen in a movie. There’s a ton to admire about Guadagnino’s work and Kuritzkes really outdoes himself with this screenplay. It makes for a wonderful group watch, and it’s exciting to see the prospect of a non-blockbuster like this doing well at the box office.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Challengers review.
