Still playing in cinemas, but now available to rent or buy on video-on-demand platforms is the racy sports drama, Challengers. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the movie stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, and focuses on a love triangle between a tennis coach, her ex-boyfriend, and her husband.
In the movie, the year is 2006 and best friends Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson win trophies playing tennis doubles at the US Open. Shortly after their win, the pair attend another match, this time as spectators, watching lauded player, Tashi Duncan.
Within seconds of the first serve, Patrick and Art become mesmerised by Tashi. They can’t take their eyes off her, becoming instantly infatuated with her speed, her skill, and her beauty.
Later that evening, the pair attend a party being held by Tashi. They waste no time at all trying to speak to her, then hang around until the end of the party in the hope of getting to know her a little better.
One thing leads to another and all three end up in a hotel room. The trio then share a kiss, before Tashi leaves the room, leaving Patrick and Art aroused and smitten.
As time passes, both Patrick and Art enter into a relationship with Tashi, with varying levels of success. As a result, the friends soon become rivals in the bedroom, as well as rivals on the court.
Phwoar and double phwoar, misses! I think I’m going to need a strong glass of Robinsons after watching Challengers, because this is one sexually charged drama.
*Loosens collar*
The movie has thrust, ball control, and plenty of grand slam. It also manages to transform tennis into one of the sexiest sports of all time.
Yes, even sexier than diving, even sexier than water polo, and even sexier than snooker. I know – hard to believe, right?
And yet, despite the film’s focus on the sexcapades of the central trio, it’s mostly titillation. The strength of Challengers lies in the sexy cast (more about them in a moment) and in the way director Luca Guadagnino teases out the sexual shenanigans without showing all that much.
There are no mammoth bonking sessions or wild orgies in this film, and most of the sex in Challengersis implied rather than served up. However, it’s pretty hot stuff regardless.
The film wants to tantalise the mind, more than other parts of the body and the end result is a steamy picture which hits the spot. Sure, it’s surprisingly low on actual steam (even in a sequence set in a sauna), but it still has the power to get audiences hot under the collar.
Throughout its two-and-a-bit-hours run time, there’s a touch of butt grabbing, as well as a slapped boner, and then there’s that much publicised three-way kiss (the one hinted at in the preview trailer). There’s also various states of undress.
But that’s about it; there’s not much else. Yet the film doesn’t half sizzle!
This is because Guadagnino turns his film into a piece about power dynamics and lust. Tashi has the power, Patrick and Art lust after her, and this forms both the backbone and the main action in the story.
And when your film is about power and lust, you don’t necessarily have to be graphic with your material. Guadagnino knows this, leans into the unspoken moments, and the occasional flashes of skin, and delivers an energetic and exciting film.
The other reason Challengers sizzles is due to the central players: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, who play Tashi, Patrick, and Art respectively. Each actor brings their A-game to the screen and they are the sexiest trio since that porn parody of The Three Musketeers.
The film could have died on its arse with the wrong cast, and yet it sings because of these three actors. They sell the heck out of every scene, every glance, and every bead of sweat, and if casting director Francine Maisler isn’t getting a raise for her involvement in this production, then there’s something seriously wrong here.
The energy between the three is electric. Even during moments when the story isn’t at its strongest, the actors sure make up for it.
Whatever way you cut it, this is superb casting from three bona fide stars. There’s not one actor stronger than the other, they all excel.
Outside of the above, Challengers benefits from strong lighting and music, superb editing, and a perfectly pitched tone and atmosphere. The film takes some big swings, with pretty much all of them landing as planned, and boy, is it captivating to watch.
OK, so the story isn’t always as vibrant as the game-play, but it’s still interesting to see the three-way relationship play out. There’s a youthful energy at work here, which keeps everything zipping along swiftly and the film hits a home run!
Oh, wait, that’s a baseball analogy. Let’s try that again.
Challengers isn’t totally game, set, and match, but it does score big.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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