If a doctor told me I had 2 hours and 30 minutes left to live, I think we all have an idea of what I would do. After reminiscing with my family and friends and sharing our final moments together for 19 minutes exactly, I would kick them out and watch Challengers.
In Zendaya’s own words, Challengers is “codependency: the movie.” The film follows the lives of youth-tennis-stars-turned-lovers-turned-professional-tennis-players Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor). Directed by the one-and-only Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, Bones and All, Suspiria), you might expect the film to follow the “lovers” part of the elaborate conceit above, and while that’s not incorrect, I’m tentative to say that’s correct.
From the film’s marketing, we have all seen that scene with Tashi, Art, and Patrick on the hotel bed getting their freak on. While the steam is palpable (AWOOOOGAA!!), that scene serves (pun intended) as the launching pad for the most dysfunctional, decades-long friendship/rivalry/relationship the screen has ever seen. This quasi-threesome scene, in spite of its being at the center of the marketing campaign, is pretty much the only scene where some freaky sex stuff happens. In fact, nothing freaky happens at all, except for some kissing and Patrick slapping Art’s boner, like one would smack a hand away from almost touching a hot stove. The point of this scene is to foreground Tashi Duncan as the focal point of this story—the fulcrum of a Patrick-Art scale vying for her love. Tashi pits Patrick and Art against each other, in both tennis and their relationships. Up to this point, tennis was all fun and games to Patrick and Art, but now, they had a purpose to play: to get into the pants of the young tennis phenom.
While the narrative framing and writing are superb (kudos to everyone’s favorite potion seller Justin Kuritzkes), the real ace of this film is the score. The whole film feels like a sweaty Berlin gay nightclub of pumped-up synthy house-party music inflating all on-screen tension until the balloon pops and spews its passion and desire all over the audience. The score gives the movie life. Every time the tennis match begins—both on the court or off the court—the infectious dance music sets the scene beFOREHAND. It prepares the audience, excites the audience, and elicits the rapid heartbeat, sweaty brow, and fit of drive and passion that every character on screen feels—a truly evocative score.
The ending of Challengers is perfect for everyone except the audience. Patrick rekindled his relationship with his childhood best friend and love, Art found his passion and drive in life again, and Tashi watched her “two white boys” fight over her by playing some damn good tennis. It was a win-win-win, except for the audience, who got edged. The entire film builds up an unparalleled horniness—a lusty desire—that leaves the audience on the edge of their seats, waiting to explode: longing for release. We all wanted to see some sex, but all we got was tennis and unrequited love. But, this wasn’t a sex movie. I don’t even want to call it a romance movie. This was a movie about desire, passion, power, and finding a reason to wake up every morning. When you look at it through that lens, it’s a perfect film.
For some parting words, I will say this: go watch Challengers like your life depended on it. It has been a long time since a movie excited me like this, and it’s movies like this that make cinema fun, innovative, and a meaningful art form. So, take your two hottest friends to the local theater, sit in-between them, and experience the passion of Challengers. You won’t regret it.
