Challengers review: When the trailer of Luca Guadagnino’s Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor-starrer Challengers dropped in all its delicious glory, many thought they knew what they would be in for. This would be a film about tennis and love. Right? Yet, when the film was released in theatres on April 26, no one could’ve predicted the twisted, sexy, sweaty turns it could take.

Challengers story

Art Donaldson (Mike) is a pro tennis player on the outs, looking to regain his confidence after an injury puts him out of commission for a while. His wife and coach, Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), also an ex-tennis player, believes playing a challenger against a ‘nobody’ will be the best way to do that. She’s not punishing him for losing his recent matches like he thinks; she’s just looking out for him. Little does she know he’ll have to face off against his ex-best friend Patrick Zweig (Josh), who is virtually homeless, living out of his car, hoping this challenger match will be his ticket to the US Open.

Challengers review

Challengers has to be one of the best offerings of 2024 so far. It’s exhilarating when it comes to the sport, has makeout scenes that’ll leave your skin tingling, and is filled with the kind of ‘rich people’ absurdity that reminds you of Woody Allen’s work (Match Point, 2005). Sure, the film's core lies with the throuple as they take you along on their life from their teens to their 30s in a non-linear fashion. And even if you don’t understand how tennis matches work, the game itself is filmed with such zest you can’t help but be on the edge of your seat. But, as Challengers slowly unfolds, you understand how everything from ambition to envy and lust to love is intertwined in this tale.

Makeouts and match points

Challengers hinges a lot on Zendaya, Josh and Mike’s chemistry with each other and boy, do they deliver! It helps that Luca doesn’t rush through the film (2-hours-13-minutes); he lets you savour each kiss, moan, grunt, scream, and revel the devilishness of it all. Tashi is unapologetically ambitious; she even refers to the game of tennis as a relationship with her opponents. She speaks of the sport passionately; and as much as she likes kissing her ‘white boys’, you never hear her speak that way about Art or Patrick. They hope she chooses between them, but all she wants is to see them play a good game of tennis.

The sexual tension (and ego) between Art and Patrick, too, is so palpable Tashi calls herself a ‘homewrecker’ in one scene. “It’s an open relationship,” jokes Patrick. Right then, you know that while this film is about Art and Patrick vying for Tashi’s attention, it’s also about them peacocking for each other (pun intended). Despite being in relationships with her, Tashi is the game these men might never win. “I know,” she replies matter-of-fact to a proclamation of love by her husband in one scene. Zendaya is untouchable on-screen too and Tashi is always in control.

Stunning visuals and music

The music, editing and cinematography in the film are just top-notch. The EDM score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross plays like an opera. A sauna scene between Art and Patrick gets so intense that the music underlines the growing tension between these men when it reaches a crescendo. Marco Costa’s editing keeps you on your toes in how it cuts abruptly from one scene to another. You might be watching something happen in their teens when they’re full of potential, and before you can grasp it, you are watching three egotistical people in their adulthood.

But it’s the camerawork by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom that really takes the cake. In one moment of the match, there’s sweat dripping on you. In another, you’re standing under the players, and a split second later, you’re watching over Tashi. Then, you’re the player, hitting the ball like a pro. The next second, you’re bouncing along with the ball, letting the chaos of it all wash over you. The intimate scenes, too, are filmed with such sensuality you can’t help but feel the physicality of it all.

Doesn’t take itself too seriously

Challengers’ strength and bane lies in the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Some scenes in the film, like the windy evening before the final match, are so melodramatic that they border on trashy. Luca also teases complicated sensuality between these three characters that he never fully grasps. While the intimate scenes are shot well, you wonder if the director could explore the dynamics a little deeper and peel back even more layers after a point. This is especially true when we meet the trio in their 30s.

However, the strength of Challengers also lies in the fact that a lot is left unsaid. You don’t need to know all about Patrick’s sexuality; you just need to know enough that he doesn’t mind it enough that he’ll swipe right on a man if he needs a place to stay the night. Take the ending, for instance; those not versed in tennis might not understand what happens in the penultimate moment. But you know that Art and Patrick have non-verbally communicated across the court. And that Tashi finally got the passionate tennis match she had been craving from her boys for years.

So, who wins the match in the end? Does anyone care? Go watch the film.

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