Since wowing audiences with the triple whammy of Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria, and Bones and All, director Luca Guadagnino has made a name for himself as an auteur director, not afraid to approach complicated subject matter. Challengers is no exception—in fact, it may be Guadagnino’s most visually impressive yet. A trio of phenomenal performances supercharge tennis in a way that puts other sports films to shame. Whether it be complemented by a propulsive score that injects frantic club energy into even the quietest of sequences, or an unparalleled level of sexual tension between its leads, the stylistic flourishes fill every frame with satisfying specificity. Like a heated tennis match, the characters volley back and forth with one another, so deeply entrenched in their own game that they don’t even realize they are playing one at all. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor are the onscreen threesome of the decade in wonderfully grandiose romantic drama, Challengers.
Timelines bounce back and forth so ferociously that taking a bathroom break during the breezy 2 hour-11 minute runtime would be a fool’s errand. For this version of present day, we travel to the city of New Rochelle, circa 2019, for Phil’s Tire Town challenger finals. Having lived in New Rochelle for over a decade, I was surprised to see it become a central focal point. We only stay within the walls of the New Rochelle Tennis Club, and rarely venture outside of them for the present-storyline. Two of the leads are uniquely at polar opposite points in their careers. One lives out of his car, desperate for cash advances and a place to stay, while the other gets frequently stopped for autographs, seemingly content at the peak of his popularity.
World famous tennis superstar Art (Faist, West Side Story, Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game) remains so close to becoming a Grand Slam champion, molded to perfection by his coach wife, the feisty former player, Tashi (Zendaya, Dune, Spider-Man: No Way Home). In order to course-correct his current losing streak, Art commits to a “challenger” event. Unbeknownst to either Art or Tashi, a familiar face waits in the wings to provide true competition. For a round of games considered to be well below his skill level meant to merely prove Art can still be a winner, Patrick (O’Connor, La Chimera, God’s Own Country) rattles the married couple to their core.
The finals match goes far beyond a simple rivalry. Patrick, Tashi, and Art’s connection runs deep. For Art, Patrick was once his very best friend, having bunked with him since they attended boarding school together at the age of twelve. Tashi’s involvement in their past comes with decidedly deeper levels of complexity. Back in 2006, Tashi’s mastery on the court as the winner of the Australia Open caught the eye of both horny teenage men. They watch her play in awe, drooling over her every movement. Sticking around to meet Tashi at a Long Island Adidas party, their initial meeting crackles with titillating sexual energy. Without spoiling anything about the specifics of their connection, this deeply rooted history juxtaposed against the heated face off adds unparalleled texture to the battle of wits and the literal match unfolding between Art and Patrick. The disparate timelines are displayed through changing hairstyles, or a shift in music. After awhile, seeing Art sporting shaggier hair should be an instantaneous cue that we are focused in the past, or hearing Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” yet every single time shift pointedly distinguishes itself through text.
A visual lushness envelops viewers in bursting colors and unique shot composition. Positioning Tashi as both literally and metaphorically between two men translates into the scope of intimate tennis matches. Each frame ripples with sexual tension, trickling down to the thrusts, grunts, and passionate sounds made when the racket smacks the ball. Dripping beads of sweat and ultra-close ups on thighs and physicality emphasize the peak physique of its central players. Typically, this manner of eye candy could feel borderline exploitative in the wrong hands. Frequent Guadagnino collaborator, Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, engages in a constant flirtation between the audience and a trio of electric performances. Speaking of the key players, they sport particularly noteworthy resumes. Zendaya and O’Connor have both won Emmys for their roles in Euphoria and The Crown, respectively, whilst Faist should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 Academy Awards, and appeared in the original Broadway cast of both Dear Evan Hansen and Newsies.
Descriptions of each character boiled down to their most straightforward elements are a lot of fun: Tashi is described as “everybody’s type,” Patrick is “charming, talented, and a big dick,” and Art has to be more than just “a racket and a dick.” Picking a standout amongst them seems impossible—each are essential to the framework of the layering narrative. A lack of scenes as eyebrow-raising as Call Me By Your Name‘s infamous peach tasting, or as shocking as Suspiria‘s bone-cracking ballet room may disappoint some of Guadagnino’s hardcore fans. Rest assured that despite being a new type of movie for the director, Challengers contains multitudes of suggestive moments and delightful excess. A sequence as seemingly innocuous as casual churro-eating can have hard-hitting implications. That three-way sequence teased to an extreme in advertisements proves well worth the wait, and stands tall as one of the movie’s standouts. Underlining any LGBT+ moments will be an obvious draw for many; between subtext, dialogue, and body language, even what we do not explicitly see onscreen tells a story.
From overt product placement to the zaniness of the camera movements, Challengers builds and builds like an orgasm into a riveting climax. The point of view of the camera itself practically becomes a character all its own. A mark of any genuinely excellent film lies in the conclusion. Whether general audiences love or hate it, they will leave the theater high off the propulsive energy. Ending in a crescendo or exclamation point may be problematic for some, but it only serves to double down on the central relationship dynamics at play. Despite being postponed due to the multiple acting/writing strikes of 2023, I can safely say that Luca Guadagnino’s latest was more than worthy of the wait. As with the heated central tennis rematch at its center, this movie feels like a proper event. Team Art or Team Patrick matters not: bouncing around as erratically as a tennis ball, Challengers captures the kinetic movement of the sport as swiftly as an Award-winning athlete in their prime.
Challengers sets its match point, exclusively in theaters on Friday, April 26th.
