Luca Guadagnino, the Sicilian filmmaker behind movies like I Am Love and Call Me By Your Name, has taken on the world of professional tennis with his latest offering, Challengers. Written by the fresh-faced screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, the film features an exciting ensemble of Zendaya (Euphoria), Josh O’Connor (The Crown), and Mike Faist (The Bikeriders). It is a movie that mixes drama, romance, and sports into a single Saturday night cocktail, one that is stylized as Guadagnino’s previous work but misses some of the emotional resonance and depth we have come to expect.
The Plot: A Love Triangle on the Tennis Court
At its core, Challengers is about Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy who now dominates the game from the sidelines as a coach. She is a master manipulator, unapologetically pulling the strings both on and off the court. Tashi is married to Art (Mike Faist), a once-champion player now struggling through a losing streak. To save his career and boost his confidence, Tashi sets up a high-stakes match in a no name tournament, where Art’s first game happens to be against Patrick (Josh O’Connor), Art’s former best friend and her former lover. As you can imagine, things get complicated fast.
The story shifts between past and present, skillfully interweaving flashbacks with the ongoing match that pits Art against Patrick. This nonlinear approach keeps the narrative dynamic, giving it a pulse that the sport itself, oddly enough, does not quite provide. The tennis sequences, while visually well-executed, lack the visceral energy one might expect – also it is often distractingly obvious that the actors had not much to do with the racket or the ball, the way those sport sequences are edited makes it even clearer. There is obvious “hiding” going on.
Source: USA Today
Guadagnino’s World: Where Style Meets Substance… or Does It?
Now, let’s see the drama that unfolds off-the court! Guadagnino is a master at creating distinct atmospheres, and Challengers is no exception. The film is drenched in vibrant colors and an infectious soundtrack that captures the era each scene is set in. The transitions between the past and present are seamless, and the film’s visual language does an excellent job of reflecting the high-pressure, glamorous world of professional tennis. But this polish comes at a price. The characters, particularly in their present-day incarnations, feel a bit too pristine, too distant. Tashi, Art, and Patrick are surrounded by the trappings of their success—immaculate hotel rooms, designer outfits, and the like—but this glossy exterior makes it hard to truly connect with them.
Zendaya, while a promising presence on screen, does not quite bring the depth needed to fully flesh out Tashi’s complexities. Faist and O’Connor fare better, especially in their portrayal of the present-day versions of their characters, complex, wounded and performance pressured. Still, the film’s cool, detached tone often leaves the audience feeling like they’re watching from behind glass, rather than being full on in the story.
More Steamy Than Sporty
It is important to note that Challengers is not really a sports movie. Sure, there is tennis, but the game is just a backdrop for the unfolding drama. It offers a Hollywood-ized version of the sport, focusing mainly on the tangled web of relationships between its three leads. It is as if a vertical version of Challengers would fit right in on TikTok, catering to an audience interested in „cool” aesthetics and drama.
This shift in focus reflects recent trends in Hollywood. A survey from May 2024 revealed a 40% drop in on-screen sex scenes since 2000. Generation Z, according to a survey of 1,500 participants, prefers films focusing on friendships and platonic relationships. Yet, steamy scenes are making a comeback, aided by intimacy coordinators who help actors feel more comfortable. Directors and screenwriters are revisiting films like American Gigolo (1980) and 9 ½ Weeks (1986) for inspiration.
There is a lot of sweat in Challengers, but not the kind you associate with sports. Guadagnino leans heavily into the sensual side of the story, delivering scenes that are more about physical attraction and power dynamics than anything else.
One cannot help but think of the infamous “peach scene” from Call Me By Your Name while watching Challengers. There is one particular scene here that is likely to burn itself into your memory in a similar fashion. It is provocative, to be sure, but it also borders on parody. The film sometimes feels like a hyper-stylized, Pop-Tart college fantasy—one that does not necessarily add much to the narrative but instead serves to titillate.
The Power Play in Relationships
Where Challengers does succeed is in its exploration of the games people play in relationships. Tashi is a woman who knows how to wield power, and the film does not shy away from showing the consequences of her manipulations and narcissism. The dynamic between Tashi, Art, and Patrick is fraught with tension, as they each push and pull at one another in a bid for control. This aspect of the film feels timely, especially in an era where traditional gender roles are being continually redefined. Tashi’s role as both a coach and a partner places her in a position of authority that is both fascinating and, at times, unsettling.
However, the film’s fixation on power and control comes at the expense of deeper emotional exploration. The relationships between the characters, while intriguing, never fully develop into something more profound. There’s a sense that Guadagnino is more interested in the surface-level drama than in delving into the emotional complexities that underlie their behavior.
An Ultra Modern Jules and Jim? Not Quite
At first glance, Challengers seems to be aiming for the kind of complex love triangle that made François Truffaut’s Jules and Jim a classic. But where Truffaut’s film was a nuanced exploration of love and friendship, Challengers feels more like a social media-filtered version of a similar story. The film is slick and stylish, but it lacks the substance needed to elevate it beyond a glossy melodrama.
There is also the question of the film’s treatment of its young audience. Guadagnino seems to be catering to a generation that is increasingly critical of traditional romantic tropes. According to a recent survey, younger audiences are less interested in sex scenes and more in stories that focus on platonic relationships and friendships. Challengers, with its steamy scenes and heightened drama, might not resonate as strongly with this demographic, despite the star power of its leads.
Final Serve: Not Quite a Grand Slam
In the end, Challengers is a mixed bag. It is a visually neat film (again, maybe too neat) with moments of intrigue, but it ultimately falls short of being truly memorable. The performances are solid, the direction is assured, but the story does not quite land the emotional punch it aims for. Guadagnino’s choice to focus more on style than substance makes for an mildly entertaining watch, but one that does not linger in the mind long after the credits roll.
For those who appreciate Guadagnino’s work, Challengers is worth a look, if only to see how he continues to push the boundaries of filmmaking. That is what I really like about him. Just do not expect the same depth and resonance that made his previous movies very memorable. Instead, sit back, and remember: this is a game, and it is Tashi’s rules that matter. While in real life, respecting others and ourselves is what does.
Challengers is now available on Apple TV.
~ by Dora Endre ~
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