Challengers Review

2024 Film directed by Luca Guadagnino

In April of this year, Luca Guadagnino returned to directing with his hit tennis flick Challengers. But was the film an ace, or was Guadagnino ultimately at fault? 

Challengers focuses on a tennis throuple, utilizing nonlinear storytelling to weave together the stories of its main characters as they experience the highs and lows of their careers and their relationships with one another. Whether it’s Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, who, after a career-ending injury, is forced to coach Mike Faist’s character Art Donaldson, or Josh O’Connor playing a washed-up former great in Patrick Zweig, these characters scheme, push, pull, and do whatever they can to get ahead of the others.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the only person to say that this is a good movie. Sporting an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 4.0 on Letterboxd, the film certainly made a racket with both fans and critics alike. This is thanks to some standout performances, a stellar script, and even more stellar direction.

Zendaya really thrives as Tashi in this film. Conniving, scheming, and ambitious, Tashi exemplifies a Terrence Fletcher-like obsession with tennis. It’s nice to see Zendaya playing largely against type here, as I mostly know her to be a lovable MJ or as the goofy K.C. Cooper. (Or Dune, I guess.) She handles both sides of Tashi’s life—first as an ambitious young tennis player, and then as a dedicated and somewhat evil coach—very well. At the time of writing this, I would love to see her snag an Oscar nomination, but that may change with time.

Another standout was Mike Faist as Art Donaldson. In a world of despicable characters, Art is manipulated and puppeteered beyond repair, as he begs to retire and stay with his family. Faist portrays this desperation very well. You can feel the pain in his eyes when Tashi tells him she will leave him if he loses the titular Challenger match. He, too, balances both sides of his character well—the puppy-like, hopeful young tennis player, as well as the tired, sad, older man. In what is largely a breakout movie role, Faist has come a long way from Waving Through a Window, and I am personally very excited to see where his career takes him next.

Finishing out this devilish trifecta is Josh O’Connor. While his character lacks the scheming evil of Tashi Duncan, he finds his own villainy as he sleeps with his best friend's wife and cavorts in front of him in attempts to regain his career. In the beginning, you feel empathy for his character—sleeping in the car, no fame, washed-up has-been. But by the time the credits roll, I found a deep hatred for Patrick Zweig and how he hurt my poor baby Art Donaldson. (Can you tell which point of this Twilight triangle I sympathize with?) This hatred came from yet another great performance. This script largely hinges on these three characters, and the film would ultimately crumble if it weren’t for these three actors.

Speaking of the script, this one rocks. The biggest positive I can lend to the writing is the use of nonlinear storytelling. By opening with what would become the final moments at the Challenger match, we are presented with a framing device from which all other points can converge. As the movie goes on, we learn the true importance of this seemingly insignificant tennis match. You may find yourself changing your support as the story unfolds, going back and forth from a singular game. There are some hilarious and haunting lines that reveal these characters and what makes them tick. When the most jaw-dropping scene of the film is contingent on the placement of a single tennis ball, you know you are dealing with a pretty good screenplay. Kudos in full to writer Justin Kuritzkes.

But easily the best part of this movie is the direction. Trust me when I tell you Guadagnino brings the sauce with this one. This has to be the most vibey movie of the year so far. While I praise the sense of horrific atmosphere in I Saw the TV Glow, Challengers has its own atmosphere, anchored in impressive camera work and a banging soundtrack. Some shots in here had my jaw on the floor. Some of my favorites include when the boys watch Tashi play, the beneath-the-court shot at the match, both of them in her sunglasses, and of course the tennis ball POV shot. But the reason why I think this movie became such a cultural phenomenon is in large part due to its soundtrack. The EDM compositions of Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross help to truly flesh out the feeling of this film. Feeling so empowered by the music, the day after I saw Challengers, I played the tennis-adjacent sport of pickleball with my friends. With the theme blasting in my AirPods, I thought I would dominate on the court, with no skill but the vibes of Challengers. I was, of course, obliterated, but man, did I feel confident while doing it.

I did have a few gripes, which fall mostly upon the script. One is the character decisions. Some feel disgusting and shocking just for the sake of being shocking or disgusting, not truly rooted in their characters. Some aspects of the characters, including sexuality, feel untouched. Some beats are touched upon for just a scene and then largely forgotten about for the rest of the runtime. However, none of these negatives could truly bring the film down that far for me.

With next to no tennis knowledge, I did actually really enjoy this tennis movie. Or should I say, I loved it. While Art may prefer his payment in churros, I award him and the rest of this film 9 out of 10 Twinkies.