On the surface, Challengers is about a single tennis match between former friends turned rivals Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor). But as it flashes back and forth in time to show how their relationships with tennis champion turned coach Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) led them to this competition, it becomes much more than a typical sports drama. Challengers intelligently and entertainingly deals with issues of communication, aging, and how the pursuit of excellence can saddle one with both limitations and opportunities for transcendence. It also does all that while providing the thrills of watching “some good fucking […]
by Jesse Pasternack on Apr 24, 2024Less than a year after Luca Guadagnino‘s cannibal love story Bones and All, the Italian director returns with Challengers. Written by playwright Justin Kuritzkes, the film stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist as participants in a ménage à trois that eventually develops into a monogamous marriage between two of them. Years later, the trio unexpectedly reunite, stirring feelings of jealousy, lust and betrayal anew. Per the film’s official synopsis: 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 […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jun 20, 2023