A love triangle on the tennis court with the acting stars Zendaya and Josh O’Connor: Many have been waiting for “Challengers – Rivals”, the new film by Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me by Your Name”). Because of the stars, its stylish production and the erotic scenes, the film was already the topic of conversation before it even came to the cinema.
In “Challengers,” the audience sees sweaty bodies playing tennis. And sweat-soaked bodies that come very close to each other in cheap motels, cars or student rooms and then pull away again.
But the tennis drama is anything but a bombastic erotic film. With “Challengers”, the Italian Guadagnino has made an exciting and very entertaining film that explores motifs such as desire, power and control on various levels.
At the center is Zendaya, who is on her way to becoming one of the most sought-after Hollywood stars. The US actress has just been seen in the blockbuster “Dune: Part Two”, and viewers also know her from the “Spider-Man” films or the “Euphoria” series. The 27-year-old can now be seen in almost every scene in “Challengers”.
This is what “Challengers” is about
She plays the role of a very determined woman who exploits the infatuation of two men for her goals.
Zendaya portrays former tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan. Due to an injury, she had to give up her sports career and now works as a coach for her successful husband, the tennis professional Art (Mike Faist, “West Side Story”). However, he is in a sporting slump, which is why Tashi convinces him to take part in a lower-class tournament in order to regain his old strength.
There Art meets the failed Patrick (Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”), who used to be his best friend. The friendship broke down because of his relationship with Tashi, who Patrick was also once with. The attraction between the two hasn’t really gone away yet. Art is now actually in a completely different league than his former friend. But he has never managed to win against Patrick.
Tennis as a metaphor for power dynamics
The men compete athletically, but also personally. Guadagnino, who has a penchant for dark but also queer material, masterfully manages to build tension, as in previous films – both on the tennis court and in the interpersonal dynamics.
Zendaya herself said of the film in a press release: “Tennis in this film is really just a metaphor for power and the power dynamic between people leaning on each other, maybe a little too much.”
Guadagnino (52) admitted that he had no idea about tennis before the film. “But my job as a filmmaker is to study and discover things I didn’t know before. It was a great opportunity for me to understand how the dynamics of desire and the dynamics of control and self-mastery are reflected in the beauty and athleticism of the game of tennis.”
The film jumps between different times. Viewers learn how the two once-close friends met Tashi and courted her. In a memorable scene, the three young athletes at the time drink beer in a hotel room shortly after they met. Both men want to seduce Tashi, the three of them sit on the bed, the woman in the middle. But she says she will only go out with the person who wins on the tennis court the next day.
Without the two men really noticing, Tashi tricks Patrick and Art into kissing each other instead of them. The camera slides from the men to Tashi’s face as she leans back and grins conspiratorially.
What Guadagnino appreciates about Zendaya’s performance
The film has great cinematography anyway. Sometimes the spectators don’t see the exciting match on the pitch, but only the heads of the spectators, which hastily swing back and forth. Sometimes the tennis ball shoots directly into the camera. Or the beads of sweat trickling down the actors’ bodies are staged in great detail. There is also a driving electro soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails musician Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
The protagonist leaves the strongest impression in this film, which is worthwhile on many levels. The director said of her: “Years before shooting this film, I met Zendaya at an event. I sat next to her throughout the evening and was fascinated by this young woman who could attract the attention of many people and was so completely genuine and graceful.”
Speaking about her role, he added: “It would be very easy to make Tashi a one-sided character, just a strong-willed woman. But Zendaya does the opposite – she brings a sense of control and a sense of power, while at the same time developing a sense of fragility within that strength that Tashi displays.”
Challengers – RivalsUSA 2023, 131 min., by Luca Guadagnino, with Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist