A qualifying tennis tournament in New Rochelle, New York hardly sounds like the setting for a scintillating narrative – that is until Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist enter the court in Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” Far from a conventional athletic biopic, “Challengers” weaves the physicality and competitiveness of sports with the raw, unspoken language of desire.
“This movie isn’t just about volleys and serves,” states Guadagnino, renowned for his evocative work in “Call Me By Your Name” and “Bones and All.” “It’s about lust, longing, and the undulating dynamics of passion.”
Indeed, “Challengers” has smashed expectations, becoming the year’s must-see tale of romantic complexity. As the film hits theaters this Friday courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios, anticipation is rife for the magnetic interplay among its three leads, whose talents for intense performance are more than up for the match.
A narrative ace for Zendaya, serving as both star and producer, “Challengers” casts her as Tashi, a coach and spouse to tennis prodigy Art (played by the charismatic “West Side Story” standout, Mike Faist). Once a promising player herself before a knee injury sidelined her, Tashi now channels her ambition into Art. When he faces off against Patrick (O’Connor, of Alice Rohrwacher’s recent “La Chimera”), a former confidant with shared history, the story deftly lobs between past and present tensions. Zendaya found the role too irresistible to pass up.
“It’s the very fact that Tashi isn’t anything like me that drew me to her,” Zendaya shares. “The roles that scare you a bit, that’s when you know you should take the leap.”
“Challengers” could’ve been the opening volley of last year’s Venice Film Festival, but an actors strike led to a delay. Yet, anticipation has only built, not merely due to Zendaya’s expanding fanbase but also the film’s lens on celebrity articulating the human condition through an athletic prism. The high stakes and intimacy of this trio effortlessly carry the film.
The genuine camaraderie among the actors was paramount for Zendaya, whose recent efforts include “Dune: Part Two.” “It’s just us three – that’s the core of this story,” Zendaya remarks, noting that they gladly bore the weight of anchoring the film.
Guadagnino likens pre-film preparations with his stars in Boston to children crafting sandcastles, a period of playful creativity. Despite some basic tennis skills among them, notably from Faist, none could rightfully claim athleticism on the courts. Enter acclaimed coach Brad Gilbert, whose guidance transformed their raw talent into convincing tennis prowess.
Yet at its core, “Challengers” isn’t about tennis. The sport merely sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the competitive nature and volatile emotion inherent in their triangular relationship. When it’s mentioned that the tennis sequences metaphorically double for the film’s lovemaking, Guadagnino can only say “Thank you,” acknowledging the nuanced symbolism.
The ensemble deeply connected with their characters’ struggles to balance personal passions and professional ambitions, especially resonant with Faist as he navigates the fluctuations of creative fervor. Zendaya, relating to Tashi’s devastation of a career cruelly cut short, delivers what might be her most compelling performance to date. With “Challengers,” Zendaya also steps up as the lead of a major theatrical release, marking a notable transition from her earlier roles.
Producer Amy Pascal, who once cast a young Zendaya in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” brought the project to her full-circle. Now, Zendaya contemplates more adult themes and issues of autonomy and expectation both on-screen and in real life.
For O’Connor, the project presented an opportunity to channel qualities he admires through Patrick – confidence and self-assuredness that he finds aspirational. In contrast, Patrick shifts the dynamic coming from his recent portrayal of Prince Charles in “The Crown” to the assured Patrick in “Challengers.”
“Challengers” is an intricate interplay of drama, ambition, and sensuality, situated in an unlikely setting but delivering a universal message. It represents potential career shifts for its stars and a jubilant celebration of craft for Guadagnino, who finds shooting as exhilarating as the editing process with this ensemble.
In the world of cinema, where genres blend and emotions run as high as a winning serve, “Challengers” stands ready to captivate audiences, showcasing that sometimes, the most compelling stories unfold off the expected paths and, in this case, on the tennis court.
