Human Lens #151: 'Challengers' Review
The energetic and originally shot sports film with a spicy love triangle is an absolute ace.
Zendaya is on a generational run to supplant herself as the leading female movie star in the industry. While her fame already existed as a Disney actress, it skyrocketed with her role in the Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy, as well as her leading role on HBO’s Euphoria. In the last couple months however, Zendaya’s appearances in two of the biggest films of the Spring have skyrocketed her stock to Oscar caliber actress and producer with her emotional turn in Dune: Part 2, and now her engrossingly toxic and competitive force in Challengers.
Zendaya plays Tashi, a young tennis prodigy who turns heads for her dominating performances and her incredibly good looks. Art and Patrick (Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor), young tennis stars in their own right, both pursue Tashi, opening the door for a long saga of love, heartbreak, and competitiveness that makes all three of their relationships periodically wane and flourish.
Director Luca Guadagnino was the perfect man to place at the helm of this sexually energetic script. Most notably known for Call Me By Your Name, and most recently Bones and All (both starring Timothee Chalamet, coincidentally), Guadagnino has an incredible ability to capture intimate moments and the desirability of the human body. In a film where the script demands expertise in capturing sport as well as sexual tension, the producers probably view Guadagnino’s involvement as a gift from a higher power, topping a wish list that I’m sure they didn’t think would be possible.
Challengers documents the desires of youthful souls for sexual longing and its juxtaposition with the competitive drive of sport. This is a saga of love, betrayal, and hatred as advertised in the film's multitude of electric trailers — but the film is also an exploration of luck in the modern economic class for young adults. In the new age of careers, there are three types of young professionals; those who retool their initial success to still be successful, those who work hard and achieve what they want through connections, and those who work hard and have nothing to show for it. Tashi, Art, and Patrick all represent these to some extent, adding a deeper layer that is sure to connect with younger audiences who are already going for surface level entertainment and the sound star power of the film.
The tennis scenes are kinetically engrossing, featuring an expertise in camera placement, movement, editing, as well as digital effects to create an experience unlike anything else you’ll see in a sports film. While invigorating, this is ultimately a character study, with the rest of the film’s berration of intensity and character driven menace becoming exhausting over time, slowly making you realize that none of these quirky leads are as likable as you want them to be. While many great films in history follow unlikeable protagonists in a pursuit to warn the audience how to be better, it ultimately becomes this film’s only flaw. As the film continues to add tension and drama, its beration actually takes away from the pacing and the immersion. How much more can a trio of humans go through before the drama becomes unrealistic?
Challengers is a studio film featuring rising stars not only looking to take advantage of the younger generation’s interest in these celebrities, but pushing the boundaries of artistic freedom in the process. It’s a fun, fast paced, and mesmerizing sports film with a dark and dirty love triangle that would be hard for anyone to look away from. While at times overwhelming and questionably unrealistic, everyone involved with the production knew what they wanted to achieve and delivered a film that’ll stand out at the end of the year as one of the more memorable, as well as one of the best releases in recent memory.