“Challengers” Review
Zendaya dominates the world of tennis with a knockout performance in “Challengers”, the latest film from Luca Guadagnino that depicts a tumultuous love triangle set in the sport of kings.
As a result of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, several films were pushed back in order to accommodate the shutdown of the American film industry. One of them was “Challengers”, which was pulled from last year’s Venice Film Festival and has just now been released in theaters. Coming off of films like a remake of “Suspiria” and “Bones and All”, as well as an acclaimed series on HBO called “We Are Who We Are”, director Luca Guadagnino has kept his momentum going strong with “Challengers” being his strongest work since “Call Me By Your Name”. With some of the year’s finest performances, a frenetic sense of urgency and an engaging love triangle, this sports-centered drama was nothing short of riveting.
Set around a tennis match in 2019, the film depicts a tense game between professional players Patrick Zewig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) while Donaldson’s coach/wife Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a promising tennis player whose career was derailed by injury, watches from the stands. However, this is not just any match. It is a powder-keg loaded with personal drama as not only are Patrick and Art former friends, but Patrick is also Tashi’s ex-boyfriend. As the film progresses, frequent flashbacks depict not only the tumultuous history that has driven this match, but also just how desperate each of these characters are for an outcome that is in their favor.
Written by Justin Kirtizkes, “Challengers” represents his first venture into screenwriting, having previously worked as a playwright. As was the case with “Air”, also written by a first-time screenwriter, I am shocked at how good his script is. This is one of the most remarkably written films of the year that has all of the interesting character interaction of a Aaron Sorkin or David Mamet play but with the visual advantages that only cinema can provide.
Structurally, the film is strongly composed with this all-too-important match being shown periodically with interspersed dives into the past of this three-way relationship. It’s through this narrative that we slowly peel back the layers of how these three relate to one another, their mistakes and how their desire to win is fueled by a massive cloud of complications and drama. Kirtizkes has already written the screenplay for Guadagnino’s upcoming film “Queer” and I am extremely excited to see what his next script brings after his first has taken such an interesting approach to the cinematic love triangle not unlike “Past Lives” which was written and directed by Celine Song, who is married to Justin Kirtizkes.
While Zendaya is absolutely the star of the show, with her face making up the film’s poster, it’s important to address just how well all three of these actors work together. This trio is remarkable in every sense with their chemistry making the film’s dynamics so investing. All three are interesting with how empathetic, inviting, desperate and sometimes detestable they can be. It’s a phenomenally destructive relationship with all three of them asking themselves the question “what am I without tennis” and then refusing to answer it for fear of their own shortcomings.
Zendaya’s turn as Tashi is incredible. This is a character who wants to play by her own rules and will fight to keep her strong position in this world of tennis. With her dreams of stardom as a player being dashed by tragedy, her turn as a coach feels like the right move for this character. Like a conductor, a general, a CEO or a film director, she is the one to be in complete control and looks so natural sitting in the stands, carefully analyzing the moves being made in front of her and preparing a counterstrike. She’s methodical and intriguing but you also have this strong sense of empathy for her and know what is fueling her decisions, even ones that can’t be condoned.
I not only found the chemistry Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor had with Zendaya to be completely natural but was also enamored with their own brotherhood. The film depicts the disintegration of Art and Patrick’s friendship and it is tragic when you see just how well they worked together when they were teenagers. As much as the romantic aspects of this film are going to grab people’s attention, deservedly so, this friendship also has my interest and had me asking questions about if this wound would ever heal or even if it should.
Luca Guadagnino pulls no punches with his direction and delivers a two-hour-and-11-minute film that felt much shorter. “Challengers” knows how to keep the blood pumping from steamy scenes of romance to tense discussions to some damn good sequences of tennis. The themes of obsession, self-destruction and perfectionism are well-handled and, as the film moves along, you begin to wonder not only what the outcome of this match will be but if any of these characters even deserve to succeed given how they abuse themselves and each other.
The way these matches are shot and edited are stellar and reflect the look and pace of the rest of the film. Cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom gets bold with some of his choices including having moments where the camera angle is the direct point-of-view of one of the characters or when the angle is from the perspective of the tennis ball being set in play. With outstanding editing by Marco Costa, “Challengers” ultimately comes together with a sudden and satisfying ending that superbly showcases the talents of the actors, screenplay, direction and filmmaking wizardry.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score also is a powerful contribution to the way “Challengers” will affect its audience. While the pair are no strangers to well-crafted cinematic music, this turn is up there with their Oscar-winning scores for “The Social Network” and “Soul”. I think that the score might be lumped in with “The Social Network’s” since they both have similar goals of getting audience’s hearts pounding but that’s where the similarities stop for me. This score is a unique creature in its own right that heightens every scene it’s in. If you removed this music, this film would be crippled.
“Challengers” is certainly a stand-out film. When you examine every component, it works individually and collectively. It’s certainly going to boost the careers of everyone involved, whether they’re an established star or a new voice, and that’s what’s so reassuring about the film. It’s a kinetic turn at the movies that is a welcome shot of adrenaline.
