a bit of a tease. That鈥檚 what makes it fun.
There is plenty of skin, sweat, close-ups of muscly thighs and smoldering looks of lust and hate in this deliriously over-the-top psychodrama. But get that image of and sitting together on the bed out of your mind. Most of this action takes place on the tennis court.
It鈥檚 still a sexy tennis movie about friendship, love, competition and sport set to a synth-y score from and 鈥� it just might not contain exactly what you think it does. But remember, is the one who filmed with perhaps more memorable than any actual sex scene from the past decade. Manage expectations, but also trust.
And like did for Chalamet, 鈥淐hallengers鈥� is one of those rare original big-screen delights that firmly announces the arrival of a new generation of movie stars. Zendaya and Faist already had a bit of a leg up. She has played significant supporting roles in some of the biggest movies of the past few years, from to and he had had his big cinematic breakthrough as Riff in Steven Spielberg鈥檚 But it鈥檚 O鈥機onnor who really comes out on top, effectively shedding any lingering image of him as a in seasons three and four of 鈥淭he Crown.鈥� In 鈥淐hallengers,鈥� his Patrick Zweig is the cocky, flirty, slightly mean, slightly dirty and slightly broken bad boyfriend of our fictional dreams.
Written by playwright Justin Kuritzkes (who is married to 鈥淧ast Lives鈥� filmmaker Celine Song) 鈥淐hallengers鈥� is a prickly treat, about fractured relationships, egos, infidelity and ambition. Set during a qualifying match at the New Rochelle Tennis Club, outside New York City, the intricately woven story reveals itself through flashbacks that build to a crescendo in the present-day match.
O鈥機onnor鈥檚 Patrick and Faist鈥檚 Art are old boarding school roommates turned tennis teammates. It鈥檚 a relationship that鈥檚 at turns brotherly, erotic and competitive. Whatever it is, they are definitely too close and not remotely prepared for Zendaya鈥檚 Tashi Duncan to enter the mix.
Tashi, in high school, is well on her way to becoming the next big tennis superstar. Art and Patrick watch her play, mouths agape at her technical form and physical beauty. Later, they both ask for her number, leading to a revealing night in a grungy hotel room. She promises her number to the one who wins the singles match the next day. Tashi just wants to see some good tennis, she says, but she also knows how to motivate and manipulate.
Because of the fractured timeline, we know that Tashi in the present day does not play tennis anymore. She was injured at some point and never recovered, unlike her husband, Art, who is now one of the most famous players in the world. The two of them are wildly wealthy, living in a ritzy hotel and fronting Aston Martin ad campaigns. At night, Tashi uses Augustinus Bader cream to moisturize her legs. Guadagnino, who likes to wink at and luxuriate in enlisted JW Anderson designer to do the costumes, which will surely populate summer style inspiration boards the way his and 鈥淐all Me By Your Name鈥� have in the past.
But while they are technically at the top, Art is also on a losing streak, so Tashi sends him to a low-stakes tournament where he can get his confidence back. That鈥檚 where they encounter Patrick, who has not been so fortunate over the years and who has fallen out with his old friends. Of course, it鈥檚 all building to Patrick and Art playing one another in the final match, a part of which is so wildly and comically drawn out that you can almost envision the 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� spoof.
鈥淐hallengers鈥� is a drama, but a funny and self-aware one. It doesn鈥檛 take itself very seriously and has a lot of fun with its characters, all three of which are anti-heroes in a way. You might have a favorite, but you鈥檙e probably not rooting for anyone exactly 鈥� just glued to the screen to see how it all plays out on and off the court.
鈥淐hallengers,鈥� an MGM release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 鈥渓anguage throughout, some sexual content and graphic nudity.鈥� Running time: 131 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
