The New Challengers film, starring Zendaya, is about a love triangle that seems to be going in a spiral. Though it was a tennis film, this movie brought way more to the table than those may have anticipated. Set in the world of professional tennis, this film is deep, meaningful, and a whirlwind that must be kept up with.
Challengers takes the journey of three pro tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), Art (Mike Faust), and Patrick (Josh O’Connor). Tashi is an amazing tennis player who turned into a coach not by choice but by desire to stay in the game. Art and Patrick, two tennis players who have been best friends for a long time, desire to go pro and see Tashi play a match, and from then on, both men want her not only for tennis advice. As the three grow closer, Patrick and Tashi start a relationship, leaving Art ever more jealous. As Tashi and Art go to the same college, they remain friends, although Tashi chose Partick over Art.
Soon after a big fight between Tashi and Patrick, Tashi suffers a career-ending injury, which leads her relationship with Patrick to be over as well. Not taking the injury well, Tashi is determined to stay in the tennis light. So she starts coaching Art, trying to make him one of the best, although he is mediocre.
This film was deep and had so many messages throughout that didn’t even have to be expressed in words. Challengers was an intense film that was hard to take your eyes off of. The acting was amazing, not only from Zendaya but also from her two co-stars, and the love triangle dynamic made the film that much more interesting. It’s hard to keep your eyes off of Zendaya, but the chemistry seen between all three characters feels electric. This cast did an amazing job of transmitting the intensity, whether that was through their dialogue or just simply playing the game of tennis.
Tension was a constant throughout the film as you watched Zendaya play a match of her own with the two men. The script of the film felt well laid out and ambitious as we got to watch it jump back and forth in time, ultimately curating one of the most intense endings.
Challengers was one of the most intense films I have seen this year so far. Every little detail that they were able to sneak into the film elevated this movie so much more. Not to mention, the soundtrack for this film was perfect; every track that came on came at the right time, and it made the film draw my attention even more. This film is for a certain audience as it is rated R, but do with that what you will, as Challengers is truly a great film to watch.
