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From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist - West Side Story), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor) - his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
The Garden Cinema View:
Maybe ‘Zendaya tennis romcom’ wasn’t on your Garden Cinema radar for this Spring, so take it as an indication as to just how enjoyable we found Challengers. Effectively, Luca Guadagnino leans into this slightly ridiculous premise with such conviction that the end result is an invigorating, sweaty treat; a sincere attempt at a modern comedy classic.
And by some measure Challengers does invoke screwball delights of Hollywood’s Golden Age, with hilarity and warmth generated from the chemistry that flows through the central love triangle in all possible directions. This charming old-school core is then wrapped in contemporary style. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pulsating techno score accompanies intense scenes of sport and seduction, with immensely sleek cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (regular collaborator for Guadagnino and Apichatpong Weerasethakul) who mounts cameras on rackets, balls, players, and just about anything else you might find on a tennis court.
You might need to tune out of the excessive product placement (although that’s true of tennis itself), but beyond that is one of the greatest sports films ever made, and one of the best comedies (certainly one of the thirstiest) of recent years.
Cast:
Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor