In the steamy drama Challengers, Zendaya plays a tennis star at the core of a contentious love triangle, though love may not be the right word. Lust? Power? Control? Tennis? Regardless, Challengers is a provocative, sexy, and uniquely gripping experience.
Elevated by a standout score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers moves as fast as a tennis ball at the hands of a professional and ricochets from one corner of the court to the next in unexpected and unpredictable ways. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) and written by first-timer Justin Kuritzkes, Challengers is one of the most riveting movies of the year.
Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor are absolutely sensational in their respective roles, delivering fierce, emotionally charged performances. All three play their characters to perfection, and even more importantly the chemistry between them is absolutely electric. At any given moment you wouldn’t be surprised if they stripped down and started fucking, and yet the movie isn’t about sex. Not really.
Power, control, and competition are at the core of Challengers, which is a quintessential tennis movie that isn’t actually about tennis. Not really. Guadagnino and Kuritzkes shoot these combustible characters at each other and let sparks fly in seemingly every way possible. You can almost feel the jolt in your pants.
And again, that score. Smoking.
Challengers is a sensational piece of filmmaking and one of the sexiest movies in recent memory. It may not be for everyone, but for those of you who want to be seduced by a slightly unconventional movie about sex, tennis, and winning at all costs, Challengers may very well be for you.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.