Since seeing the trailer, I have anticipated the release of “Challengers.” I wanted to enter the theater with little information about the film and had zero expectations. The murmur from the audience died down and I felt myself sinking into the reclined chair as the opening shot appeared. The following 132 minutes were nothing but pure entertainment that fulfilled my appetite.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s new steamy tennis drama stars Zendaya as tennis-star-turned-coach Tashi Duncan and professional tennis players Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig, played by Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, respectively.
The film follows 13 years of the trio’s relationship, from 2006 to 2019. From meeting Tashi as college athletes and spending one fateful night together, Art and Patrick, former best friends and teammates, compete against one another for a spot in the U.S. Open.
When the film returns to the present, Tashi is Art’s wife and coach and Patrick’s ex-girlfriend, and she will do anything to help Art win. Guadagnino uses tennis to explore lust, love and the friendship between the trio, as well as their drive to win. Whether the win is the match or each other, that line gets blurred.
The three things that stuck out the most were the performances, sound mixing and score. The leading trio’s undeniable chemistry heightens their tumultuous relationship as friends, lovers and enemies, making it thrilling to watch. Part of me wished for more details about them as individuals; however, I could not deny how satisfying it was to see these characters bounce off one another in every scene.
In this film, audiences witness Zendaya expand her acting range, playing the calculating and passionate Tashi with such grace, that I could not hate her character if I tried. Josh O’Connor’s portrayal of the arrogant and burnt-out Patrick was particularly excellent, as I empathized with him one minute and then hated him the next. Mike Faist had the right amount of charm and subtlety to play the yearning yet realistic Art.
Early on, I knew that the sound mixing was one of my favorite things about this movie. Every hit of the tennis ball and every grunt from the force of the hit was so crisp that I felt myself jump from the boom that rattled off the theater walls. The sound mixing made the experience immersive as if I were sitting at an actual match. I have never heard anything like it.
Since leaving the theater, I have not stopped thinking about the score. Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor’s 80s-inspired synth-techno tracks play often throughout the film. The songs blare over scenes of tension between the characters, emphasizing the suspense and intensity.
As soon as the songs started, my heart beat faster as I anticipated what would happen next. Though the synths and heavy basses came in frequently, I never felt tired of them. I was waiting for them, wishing they would play again, and that feeling only made me more invested in the plot.
This film felt like a breath of fresh air to me, which is ironic considering I was holding my breath for the last ten minutes. The experimental camera work was dizzying at times but also added to the ferocity of the characters and the game. The back-and-forth from past to present was seamless, with each flashback having a purpose that ultimately paid off in the end.
It was sensual without feeling too crude. The tennis scenes were exhilarating, and surprisingly, there were a lot of funny moments embedded in the script that had the audience cackling in some parts. Luca Guadagnino’s twist on the sports-drama genre has set a new standard for cinema.
