Director: Luca Guadagnino
“Challengers” (2024), directed by Luca Guadagnino, is an unconventional sports drama that intertwines tennis and complex relationships. The film is centered around Tashi Duncan (played by Zendaya), a talented tennis player whose career is cut short due to a knee injury. Tashi becomes the coach and wife of Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), a former tennis champion, while Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s ex-lover, also plays a pivotal role in this love triangle.
The film’s structure is a jigsaw puzzle of timelines, jumping between the early stages of the trio’s relationship and a critical tennis match years later, where Art and Patrick face off in a challengers tournament. This non-linear narrative creates a sense of tension as the past and present collide, highlighting the trio’s unresolved emotional and sexual dynamics.
Guadagnino’s direction pushes the boundaries of traditional sports movies, making tennis a metaphor for relationships, intimacy, and power struggles. The matches themselves are filmed with an almost voyeuristic intensity, where the lines between sport and sexual tension blur. Zendaya’s performance as Tashi is a standout—she portrays a commanding and manipulative character who controls the men in her life on and off the court. However, her role diminishes as the film progresses, focusing more on the rivalry between the two men.
Despite the film’s stylistic choices, some critiques mention the disjointed narrative, which occasionally leaves gaps in character development. The chemistry between Faist and O’Connor, while intriguing, lacks depth in portraying the intense emotional connection that drives their rivalry.
Challengers balances melodrama with moments of dark humor, and while it may not satisfy all viewers due to its narrative structure and sometimes over-the-top direction, it still offers a unique and provocative take on sports and relationships. The film ultimately stands out for its performances, sensual tension, and Guadagnino’s bold vision.