Throughout the last few years Zendaya has become one of the most bankable celebrities in the business. While this is partly thanks to her Emmy-winning performance in Euphoria, she's also starred in major movies like Dune and Tom Holland's Spider-Man trilogy. Her most recent release was Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, which was a racy love triangle film about tennis players. I finally rented the movie, and while its reception was mixed I think Challengers is my favorite movie of the year. Namely because of how pitch perfect its pacing and finale are.
Prior to its release, what we knew about Challengers was definitely enough to get butts in seats. After all, the Challengers trailer teased some of the steamy scenes that would make it into the theatrical cut. But after finally renting it on Amazon, the movie is so much more than that. It truly feels like every frame of the movie is purposeful in telling the story of its three protagonists, which builds until the movie's killer ending. And despite it being late when I streamed the movie, I ended it wide awake from being so enthralled throughout its 131-minute runtime.
The ending of Challengers revealed how Art and Patrick's match ended, heavily hinting at their reunion despite all the drama that had followed their love triangle with Tashi over the years. Seeing the two men embrace in the final moments was thrilling not only for the audience, but for Zendaya's character, who had just let out the same guttural scream she did in her first tennis scene. The three of them experienced something profound, and it felt like a wildly successful finale.
CinemaBlend's Challengers review praised the film, giving it a 4.5 star rating, but not everyone felt the same. Tennis aficionados criticized Challengers' portrayal of the sport, especially since the actors involved in the matches weren't actually hitting any balls during those sequences. And while most critics praised the film, which has an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score was more mixed.
While some critics have taken aim at Challengers' story, I personally thought the way that Luca Guadagnino methodically peeled back the layers on the trio of characters was superb. The way time moves throughout the movie makes the audience earn the truth about each of the trio, and how they relate to each other. And having Art and Patrick face off in a rematch allowed for their professional and personal drama to build to a boiling point, aided by Challengers' acclaimed score of techno dance music.
Zendaya has yet to give a bad performance, but I thought she was pretty transcendent in Challengers. She perfectly portrayed Tashi as he goes from a strong willed young athlete to a ruthless and manipulative coach to her husband. And learning the truth about her relationship with both Art and Patrick makes the two former best friend's final, wordless interaction feel like the emotional climax of the entire film. Now I need a re-watch or two.
Challengers is still in theaters and also available to rent from home. For now, check the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
