A One Mann’s Movies review of “Challengers” (2024).
Is Zendaya the hottest female property in Hollywood at the moment? I think so. In “Challengers” she is portrayed as the “hottest tennis player ever” and who am I to argue? I went into Luca Guadagnino’s new film with middling expectations, but was blown away by the trio of cast leads, the virtuouso camerawork and the gripping narrative and game play.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Tashi Donaldson (Zendaya) is at the peak of her powers as the leading US tennis star. Falling under her spell are two male up-and-coming tennis stars – Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) – who have been buddies since childhood. They are besotted not only by her tennis style but also by her sex-appeal. The love triangle is set against the ups and downs of championship tennis at the highest level.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong language, sex, sex references”. For a film featuring “sex”, there is actually no intercourse presented in the whole film… just a whole lot of ‘heavy petting’!)
Talent:
Starring: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor.
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino.
Written by: Justin Kuritzkes.
Twitter Handle: #ChallengersMovie; #challengersmov.
Running Time: 2h 11m.
Advantage Tashi, with two attractive men besotted with her. (Source: MGM).
“Challengers” Review:
Positives:
- Zendaya absolutely shimmers with sex-appeal both on the court and off. I mean, she is peak-perfection in female form isn’t she? During the tennis scenes, with her grace, power and sponsorship deals, she reminded me strongly of Emma Radukanu (surely the tennis star used as the inspiration here?) Off the court she is like a sex-siren to the two young men: an early scene of her dancing at a party is just off-the-scale hot and you can fully understand why they become transfixed with her. “Aren’t you everybody’s type?” asks Art as a rhetorical question. Yep…. quite probably.
- Besides looks and charisma, the girl can seriously act too. Perhaps this performance, allied with the momentum of her involvement in “Dune: Part 2” – surely an Oscar-garlanded film, might mean that a first Oscar nomination might be on the cards?
- Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor both hold up their end of the acting states well, with O’Connor being particularly impressive as the cock-sure and egotistical Jock.
- The tennis scenes are brilliantly realised and full of energy and dynamism, helped along by a driving and deafening beat by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The camera is sometimes in the crowd, sometimes on the racket and sometimes even (dizzyingly) on the ball itself. We even see the players at one point from below (through glass, which must have been very expensive to shoot for the 5 seconds or so it’s on screen!) Technical hats off for the cinematography, the editing and the special effects (you WILL duck when a ball is served straight at you!)
- The final scenes of the film are exquisite. Virtually word-less but delivered with actions and nuanced glances. I predicted exactly what would happen during one of Patrick’s serves (as you too may do). And sure enough, it did! But that didn’t fail to spoil the electrifying tension of the scene and the subsequent furious rally. Brilliant cinema.
Negatives:
- The film, at 131 minutes, is about 15 minutes too long imho.
- The Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross music is great. But the sound balance means that it often drowns out the dialogue.
- Some issues that some people may have that I personally didn’t have:
- Viewers who like their films in a nice linear timeline will be INFURIATED with this one. We start in the present day but then are constantly in the Tardis! We zip back 13 years, forwards a few years, back to the present, back 5 years, etc. It’s well done by the filmmakers, but still quite dizzying.
- Viewers attending for some raunchy sex scenes, as implied by the threesome hinted at in the trailer, will be sadly disappointed. There are some fully nude scenes but these are only men in a locker room, and not the two leads either! Sorry boys, but Zendaya’s (albeit skimpy) cloths stay on!
- The illustrious Mrs Movie Man ended up not caring about any of the trio of leading characters. Tashi got particular criticism. (I didn’t feel as strongly about this, although I can see where she was coming from and I certainly didn’t like any of the characters.)
Friends and competitors on and off the court. Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) . (Source: MGM).
Summary Thoughts on “Challengers”
Is this the best tennis-set film ever made? Yes, I think it probably is. Although overlong, the film sizzles with energy. This is both physical (with sweat cascading into the lens at various points) and sexual (with palpable tension between the three corners of the love triangle). A cracking film that came as a real surprise.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Challengers”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUCEaq4bf1A .
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