Challengers earns 3.5 stars (out of 4) from Us Weekly movie critic Mara Reinstein.
Random fun fact: All three actresses who played Peter Parker’s love interest in the live-action Spider-Man entries this century went on to star in films about tennis. First there was Kirsten Dunst in the rom-com Wimbledon. Then Emma Stone portrayed Billie Jean King in the undervalued Battle of the Sexes.
Now Zendaya gives her all in Challengers. It’s the sexiest, sauciest and sweatiest movie of 2024 despite the April release date. And, to use a term from the sport’s lexicon, she totally aces it.
No dutiful girlfriend to an adoring hero, her Tashi Duncan is the alluring center of a love triangle between her ex (The Crown’s Josh O’Connor) and her husband (West Side Story’s Mike Faist) that spans 13 years. Both are alpha-male tennis stars, and yet the self-assured Tashi calls the shots. (Sorry, but these tennis puns are too fun! Can’t stop!)
The tension runs high from the get-go. During a tennis match, two men volley back and forth across the court. Judging by the palpable intensity, they appear to be vying for a Grand Slam title. But no. This is a low-frills tournament in New Rochelle, New York, in 2019. A different kind of win is obviously at stake. Cut to Tashi sitting in the stands, wearing a chic white sundress and a concerned expression. Though her eyes are on the game, something — and someone — is on her mind. With very good reason.
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We learn via flashback that these athletes, the ruggedly handsome Patrick Zweig (O’Connor) and rubber-limbed Art Donaldson (Faist), were once promising doubles partners and best friends. On and off the court, the teens are dubbed “fire and ice” — Patrick is charming and hot-tempered, while Art is introspective and methodical. They try to maximize these attributes upon their first meeting with Tashi. An 18-year-old long-legged prodigy on her way to Stanford, she boasts the confidence to match her fierce backhand. After some beachside banter, the guys ask her to meet them later in their hotel room.
Could she? Would she?
Considering that Challengers is directed by Call Me by Your Name’s Luca Guadagnino, the answer is a heck yes.
The scene is as funny and intoxicating as it gets for a contemporary romance. In a refreshing twist, both guys are placed in the vulnerable position while their object of affection takes full control. (Note: The three start their night by shamelessly flirting on the hotel-room floor; Tashi stands up first and gives direction.) Their sultry group dynamic is capped by a makeout session that audience members will not soon forget … not that they’d want to.
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Just like the climatic tennis match, the Challengers narrative constantly moves back-and-forth with the score constantly changing. As a teen, Tashi dates Patrick because he’s the perfect passionate foil. But the steadier albeit more passive Art is a true friend to her, especially after she suffers a devastating injury. They eventually marry, and she coaches him to several Grand Slam championships. Still, Art lacks the cocksure to be an all-time great. He knows it. Tashi knows it. Patrick, who becomes estranged from his friend and never lives up to his potential, knows it. By the time the two serve it out for the championship in the suburbs, they’re both in redemption mode and hoping for one more opportunity at glory. Professional and personal.
No doubt compliments need to be doled out for the dazzling and dizzying in-game sequences. Look at the way the ball whooshes across the court! Same for the mesmerizing synth score — courtesy of Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross — that works in tandem with the burgeoning relationships. Tech credits do matter. But this movie does not succeed unless all points of the triangle are drawn out.
And rest assured that on this front, Challengers scores big time.
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The fantastic Faist and O’Connor turn Art and Patrick into flawed yet appealing characters. Zendaya flourishes in her first grown-up, non-genre movie role. Her unapologetic power player thinks with her heart and her head, almost never at the same time. Not only does she share sizzling chemistry with her guys, the guys share sizzling chemistry with each other! Like, even their gazes could burn a hole in the sun during a solar eclipse. And, to think: The only nudity on the screen are shots of random men’s private parts in a locker room.
Challengers was originally scheduled to premiere last fall; it got pushed because of the dual Hollywood labor strikes. The unfortunate circumstances have led to the best-case scenario, as now the movie can separate itself from the onslaught of all those Oscar hopefuls and triumph on its own. Love may mean nothing in tennis, but this is the exception.
Challengers opens in theaters Friday, April 26.
