Challengers Reviews (original) (raw)

Summary Tennis prodigy turned coach Tashi (Zendaya) has taken her husband, Art (Mike Faist), and transformed him into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a “Challenger” event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his form...

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A tennis match can be a personal battle, a clash not only of athleticism but of mind, and Guadagnino gives every game and set the gravity of gladiatorial contest.

Anchored by three arresting performances and playfully experimental direction, Challengers is fresh, exhilarating, and energetic.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Best Drama of 2024 Best Drama of 2024 Best Drama of 2024 Best Drama of 2024 Best Drama of 2024 Best Drama of 2024 Best Drama of 2024

Brilliant in terms of its overall structure, Kuritzkes’ script also manages crackerjack individual scenes that stack up one upon the other, like little chamber dramas within a larger opus.

Challengers is, in the end, a fantastically well constructed film with a star-making performance at its centre. Not quite a masterpiece, Guadagnino holds back from fully embracing the potential of his film’s eroticism and style, but Challengers is nevertheless a worthy contender.

Combining his eye for expressive filmmaking, a mature performance from the three main stars and a droning pop score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers is a seductive feast for the senses.

In tennis, “love” means nothing. Love also has little to do with “Challengers,” which uses the sport as the backdrop to serve up an elaborate, non-linear psychological triangle that proves twisty and enticing for much of the match, before double faulting by whiffing on the ending.

It’s trashy eurosleaze with none of the sumptuous debauchery.

it was such a beautiful movie. The characters are all riveting and have an interesting storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat till the final minutes of the movie. I’ve seen reviews that have said the movie doesn’t have a proper “plot” but they seem to overlook that the characters themselves are the plot, as the entire point of the movie is to understand the complex relationship between the trio. It is one of the few movies I’ve watched that has a lasting impact as you reflect back on it. To this day, I still think about the characters and all the little comments/actions they do that really explains so much. Every single little detail in this movie is so perfectly placed with a specific purpose. Without spoiling too much, I highly recommend this movie for anyone that is looking for a fun “rom-com” type of movie that isn’t so predictable. Challengers is a rare occasion of a romance movie that genuinely makes you think and reflect.

Challengers mixes tennis with intricate personal dynamics. Zendaya's tennis coach character tries to boost her husband's career by entering him in a tournament, only to face complications involving her ex-boyfriend. The film shifts between past and present, adding depth to the character interactions. It is not as spicy or a teen rom-com as the trailers make you believe, but it is an enjoyable film tied together by excellent cinematography and soundtrack. Perhaps Tennis can fulfil everyone's desires?

Luca Guadagnino is known for his promiscuity and desire to push the proverbial "moral line," when it comes to the characters getting their way. In this case, the character pushing that line is Tashi Duncan. In the end, the film could have been much more driven by real competition between two professional athletes, instead, I was given a warning of what you could become if you cannot let go of your competitive spirit when it has run its course. The artistic value was also in and out, the cinematography was on point and the audience could feel the gravity of every action, on or off the court, these characters make. But the music was most of the time discordant. The message did not land, and we are left with this strange resolve in which Tashi wins and Art and Patrick forget they have been played into submission.

Very weak film, I thought it would be much better and in the end I left the cinema very disappointed. Zendaya acts well, but I didn't like the rest of the characters. I give it a 3 because in the end it was entertaining but it's a film that in the end doesn't surprise at all.

First and foremost, I was bored STIFF by this story. Sure, there are fun and sexy images throughout, but what the hell is up with the pacing? Do I have to stare at a dude about to hit a service for 30 more seconds? Serve the dang ball, idiot! I'm just a little shocked that critics loved this film. The characters are not developed, they feel like robots, and the CGI tennis is WAY over the top. Even in the warm-up sequences, the ball looks SO fake. I've never seen Serena Williams hit the ball that hard, and some college freshman from Stanford is topping her? Don't think so.

Production Company Frenesy Film Company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Pascal Pictures, Why Are You Acting Productions

Release Date Apr 26, 2024

Duration 2 h 11 m

Rating R

Tagline Her game. Her rules.

International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)

• 6 Wins & 6 Nominations

Astra Midseason Movie Awards

• 2 Wins & 6 Nominations

Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists