Saw this today and really enjoyed it. Towards the end I knew what you referred to as the ultimate callback was going to happen and every serve that it didn’t happen made my heart beat faster and faster.
Great review, I agree with everything you've said! I loved this film, but my fave Luca G film is still Call Me By Your Name. Apart from anything else, the music is easier to listen to in that film lol.
As someone who loves Zendaya but was a bit skeptical about this movie but honestly, it kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time and it was a good movie overall a lot of twist and turns that were unexpected and actors did really good and really making you want to choose who side to be on.
Good lord,can Zendaya be any hotter. It won't surprise anyone next year if she pulls a Florence Pugh,and gets 2 golden globe nominations for Dune Part 2, and Challengers.NUFF SAID
Good point. Brilliantly multi-talented Zendaya has already deservedly Won EMMY AWARDS for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Zendaya has already Won a GOLDEN GLOBE for acting as well. Zendaya should continue Winning for her work. I know the year is not over, but Zendaya could actually Win the OSCAR for this role. Though I wish it were a more wholesome one. And Florence is a good actress, too, of course.
I avoided seeing this movie until I had nothing else to do and went to check it out mostly because of film Twitter. It totally blew me away, easily the best movie I have seen this year other than Dune part two
I had high expectations for this film and it did not disappoint. Luca is a phenomenal director and Mike Faist is really underrated as an actor. He's not "new" to acting, because he's a theatre kid and has been on Broadway already... but this is really his first leading role in a major film, so I'm excited to see where he goes from here. And Josh O'Connor is just great in everything he does.
I love how you balance clear-sighted critical insight with such passion & enthusiasm for the film & movie-making in general! Couldn’t agree with you more on ‘Challengers’ & I’ve seen it thrice - the performances are so layered, particularly Faist’s because his role is quieter & more subtle, that you notice & become moved by new details each time. In answer to your Qs, no I hated the trailer, it was so trashy & “young adult” that I skipped the premiere (I live in Sydney) & only reluctantly came round to watching it later. The trailer & the movie have different target markets. Fav Guadagnino film is one his OG projects that fewer ppl talk abt: ‘I am Love’. ‘Challengers’ is a risky, innovative, exhilarating contribution to cinema. ‘I am Love’ is a classical, elegant masterpiece.
I thought it was solid but wasn’t blow away by it. Great performances and the tennis scenes were very well shot. I just didn’t care that much about any of these people and kinda rolled my eyes when she kept going from one to the other. I wanted something bigger to happen. The time jumps worked for me and the manipulation between them. Overall solid and good, didn’t love it. Also the score was very distracting. Sounded like dance club techno which is fine thought it took me out of the performances.
Unpopular opinion: I thought the movie was a 6/10 honestly. The chemistry and performances between the characters was the thing only holding the film together (proper way to show a love triangle), but the plot was kind of unclear. Secondly, Tashi is a one dimensional character. She is as manipulative in the present as she was in the past. No transformation or change. Thirdly, her being a mother added nothing to the story and her character. Why are the stakes so high for ? What did her injury mean for her family and her. *great cinematography though* Idk maybe I need a second watch.
I cant wait to watch this again this weekend! I honestly never thought this movie would end up being this great lol the performances are really fantastic! Btw another cool underrated tennis movie is Borg vs McEnroe.
Watched it last night. Honestly I was pretty pumped that I was able to predict the big call back at the end. I was saying they have to do this they have to they’re going to
I saw Dune 2 and Civil War a couple days ago and both were amazing Dune 2 is visually incredible but also a great story and well acted with impeccable direction. Civil War however made me feel things and was truly harrowing and personally will stick with me long after the end credits more then even Dune 2 would so was my favorite as of the other day. Yesterday I watched Challengers and this is just on another level the love triangle is really captivating and well told, The story of wanting to be the best and of the relationship between love and tennis is impeccable and the characters are so enfuriating at times but yet you are just compeletly glued and want to see how this train wreck of crazyness continues and escalates and the ending for me was a powerful one I loved it. The tennis scenes are stupidly well put together with tonnes of experimental shots that just look breathtaking. This film is impeccably directed, editied and shot, with increidble cinematography also. I also absolutley loved the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score its up there for me personally. Finally all 3 stars are truly fantastic here Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor were both fantastic and were great in the scenes they had together too. Each of the 3 stars had moments were they really shinned. I thought Zendaya was the best here though she was incredible for me personally. Yup just on another level easilly my favorite film of 2024 so far.
Wanted to love it but there are many aspects that were laughably bad. It could have been 90 mins if they trimmed up the silly long slow motion scenes that added little to the plot. The music was a fourth character and not a good one, it wasn’t well connected but very present. All beautiful and talented actors but brilliant writing it is not
I think he deserves a nod, both for WSS & this performance, but I’m certain he won’t get one. The film isn’t oscar baity & ppl r more excited about Z’s career breakthrough & Josh O’Connor’s flashier role (he was great btw). You also need to campaign for the Oscars & Mike hasn’t exactly endeared himself to ppl on the press tour.
A little too much time jumping. I know had Zendaya’s hair styles to figure out the timeline. But like “3 weeks later” - is that from the past or recent past? And what exactly happened at the end? But overall, a good movie with solid characters and acting.
This movie was not that good . I also guess i didnt know what i was getting myself into because there was alot of gay scenes. If your not into that kind of stuff the movie is not for you. I thought the movie was surrounded around two guys trying to win over a control freak,but really this movie was a triangle relationship surrounded around manipulative tactics . It was an ok movie not great hype is overrated .
Is it just me but given lucas past films i knew the film was gonna be way more than a love triangle. After watching it was clear the friendship between art and patrick stole the show completeley. I couldnt root for patrick as charming as he was. He was a trouble maker. It makes sense why tashi chose art. He doesnt have her best interest and she didnt have his either so it worked out
Those false, sordid previews did this film an injustice and literally KEPT people from going to see it. Though disappointed in how Zendaya, in her First Lead Role in a Major Motion Picture, was portrayed, I did drag myself to see it. Glad I did. It's a well-made film. But I do know they would Not have given such a sordid script to a young Sandra Bullock. Seems kinda racist. Glad I watched the film Despite those previews, though. I realized that Tashi is Not the bad guy! People generally, do not go to movies to see the bad guy. This film was almost sabotaged by those awful previews making the most famous actor in it seem evil. She's not. Zendaya's acting is fantastic in this film, too - as are Josh's and Mike's. The cinematography is great. And the music helps keep us on the edge of our seats during that final tennis scene. Magnificent. Zendaya and the rest should be remembered at OSCAR time. The cinematographer certainly, And perhaps Luca, as well, though I'm angry at him for nearly ruining the script by force-fitting that "gayness" angle into it when it was not there before. Amy and Zendaya were PAYING him. And THEY should have politely told him to leave the script alone and just direct. That sordidness on the bed in previews KEPT many Zendaya fans OUT of the theaters. I know Luca is gay and perhaps does not feel anything when ONE man kisses ONE woman. But that's the REALITY of the world, for the vast majority of it. Great art rings true. Having a Teenaged Girl at the Top of her Game (already a millionaire from an Adidas endorsement), so smart she'll attend STANFORD, and wearing a Christian cross around her neck, would not risk it all (including potentially life and LIMB) going to the Hotel Room of TWO MEN she does not even KNOW! Quite frankly it is not just Unrealistic, but Dangerous to put something so reckless in a film and try to make it seem "normal." And Sometimes straight people are just straight people, Luca. Literally BILLIONS of people on this planet have never even had a gay thought. If you want to make films about gays, you can do that. But don't try to pretend everyone is "gay." Stop pretending the world is GLEE. It's not. And it's disconcerting to see it Inserted in films where it was not intended to be. Again, the straight script writer may have felt powerless to say anything (and because he didn't, Luca has him penning, "Queer, now), but Amy, Zendaya, and the other producer could have/should have said something. About that script change and about the misleading, sordid marketing that KEPT people out of theaters. Ridiculous for Zendaya, Mike, and Josh to get typecast in this way. They signed on to do the film BEFORE Luca stupidly messed with the script and nearly ruined it with that "gay angle." That's not fair to the actors. And that kind of thing (major negative changes AFTER actors agree to do a project) should maybe get addressed in the next Actors Guild's meetings. People should be able to opt out with such Major character changes from those in the script they agreed to help bring to life.
Basically go see it if you’re a member of team rainbow. If you are not a member, you should not bother. Don’t think you’re going to see the main female naked she has no nudity clause.
This movie is so freaking good!!! The chemistry between the 3 of them is AMAZING.... I wonder if they actually fell into a throuple while filming cause they were fucking PERFECT together!!!! The way it's shot is next level, from the sweat shots, to the tennis matches, the score, and the writing. LOVED IT!.. I believe Art and Patrick do love each other romantically, they're just afraid to pursue it fully. They both are in love with Tashi, and she's in love with them but they're all toxic. Josh and Mike are so fuckin hot, I am completely jealous of Tashi.
The acting was amazing and tennis action however the music was awful and extremely distracting. She looks 15 the whole way through the movie the fact that she had a child in this movie was the worst decision ever. This cannot be compared to whiplash.
