Challengers (2024), directed by Luca Guadagnino, stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. The film follows the decades-long love triangle that forms between tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) and two lifelong best friends: Art Donaldson (Faist) and Patrick Zweig (O’Connor). After she faces a devastating injury that cuts her career short, Tashi falls in love and marries Art. Unable to let go of her past, Tashi focuses on helping Art achieve what she could not. When Patrick returns to face off against Art in a tournament they are both desperate to win, old dynamics are brought to the surface and Tashi wonders if she’ll ever be able to let go of the past.  

This is essentially a 3 performer show that allows each of its leads to show off their skills to the best of their abilities. Zendaya gives the best performance of her career in a role that blends shades of power, anger, sentimentality, and seduction. Meanwhile, Faist and O’Connor provide performances that should open up a lot of roles for them in the future. The two male leads juxtapose each other completely while still holding onto an “opposites attract” kind of friendship. The relationships throughout the film feel realistically complex, giving each dynamic between characters its moment in the sun. This allows us to buy into this love triangle without the characters feeling immature or morally bankrupt. This triangle also parallels the character’s struggles on the tennis court. The back and forth in their relationships parallels the back and forth of an intense tennis match. Similar to legendary sports films such as Raging Bull (1980) and Rudy (1993), the characters in Challengers solve on the court what they can’t in real life. Both their relationships and athletics reflect the uncompromising competitive nature of professional athletes. 

On a technical level, Luca Guadagnino directs with a sure hand. Symmetrical shots and constant close-ups add a loving intimacy to the film. He also uses slow motion to maximum effect (which is seemingly rare nowadays). It adds tension at the perfect moments and allows the film to dwell on the intensity in the characters’ eyes. It also adds a certain level of glamour that is likewise conveyed through the film’s music. In intense sequences, the film implements a techno-dance music score while the rest features a score more akin to classical music. This classical element pairs perfectly with the feeling of eliteness within the tennis world.  

The film features an atypical structure that jumps back through forth in time. Although this could easily confuse less experienced viewers, I found that it worked better than expected. Although it is skewed, the structure still drops its dramatic beats at the right moments. It’s not perfect, but Guadagnino makes it work better than most directors. 

This film is similar to Whiplash (2014) in the sense that one of its main themes relates to the price/sacrifice of success. The characters often say and do horrible things in order to provide others with a sense of motivation. It really is an ode to the people behind the success of athletes and the ways in which they provide motivation, positive or otherwise.    

The film leads to an unpredictable climax that perfectly implements the rule of “Chekov’s Gun.” This is the idea that something unimportant in the story will eventually take on great significance. 

Overall, this is one of the more complex romances I’ve seen in recent years, featuring intense characters and big twists. This is also one of the most unique sports films I’ve seen in a long time. That being said, I think this will play better for fans of atypical romances as opposed to sports fans. The film is also surprisingly funny, able to break the tension sexual or otherwise. At the end of the day, I can see this having niche appeal. However, it’s tough to deny the top-notch direction, performances, and script. This is an adult film for adult sensibilities and I’m there for it. B+