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Challengers review thread (directed by Luca Guadagnino; starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist)

kalindana

kalindana

Member
Oct 28, 2018
3,186
challengers-poster.jpg



Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | Metacritic: 88


the plot of "Challengers" might sound stale, and yet, there's an electric spark to Guadagnino's approach that elevates the material, rendering it fresh. Behind every high-speed volley and smashed racket courses raw emotion, resulting in the steamiest (and funniest) sports-centric love triangle since "Bull Durham." With some romantic movies, you'd do well to pack tissues. In the case of "Challengers," bring a towel. It's that rare film where you'll work up a sweat just from spectating.
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variety.com

‘Challengers’ Review: Zendaya and Company Smash the Sports-Movie Mold in Luca Guadagnino’s Tennis Scorcher

Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist compete for Zendaya’s affections in 'Challengers,' a steamy, stylish tennis-centric love triangle from Luca Guadagnino.
variety.com variety.com

Moment by moment, line by line and scene by scene, Challengers delivers sexiness and laughs, intrigue and resentment, and Guadagnino's signature is there in the intensity, the closeups and the music stabs.
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www.theguardian.com

Challengers review – Zendaya aces uproariously sexy tennis-set love triangle

Luca Guadagnino’s terrifically absorbing screwball dramedy features a devastatingly cool leading lady, Josh O’Connor on rallying form and zinging extended dialogue rallies to match
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

Justin Kuritzkes' script... subverts the typical stakes of each match in order to focus on the animating thrill of wanting something with every flooded sweat gland on your body.
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www.indiewire.com

‘Challengers’ Review: Luca Guadagnino and Zendaya Serve Up a Smart and Sexy Tennis Drama About Three Players in Search of the Perfect Match

Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor are electrifying in a hugely satisfying Luca Guadagnino movie that redefines what it means to win at love.
www.indiewire.com www.indiewire.com

And that's the thing: the film is fun. It's smart and sexy and engaging, from the whip-smart dialogue and Jonathan Anderson's playful costuming (Tiny shorts! Oversized, period-appropriate hideous polo shirts! An 'I TOLD YA' shirt as famously worn by JFK Jr!) down to the note-perfect supporting actors Darnell Appling (who is also Zendaya's long-time assistant) and Joan Mcshane.
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lwlies.com

Challengers review – everything is sex, except sex, which is power

Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist play a trio of tennis players whose lives are inextricably connected in a complicated love triangle.
lwlies.com lwlies.com

Challengers is just plain fun — playful, aggressive, and a thrill to watch. It isn't like anything else that's hit cinemas in the past few years.
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www.polygon.com

Zendaya’s Challengers is the sensual, satisfying cure for sexless cinema

Luca Guadagnino — the director who had Timothée Chalamet penetrate a peach in Call Me By Your Name — is back at it, now with Zendaya
www.polygon.com www.polygon.com

It's a treat to see three comparatively young actors nailing the kind of understated flirty gravitas that the stars of movies for grownups used to exhibit in earlier eras.
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Challengers movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert

A love triangle that plays out in and around the tennis court, in a film that thwacks the audience back and forth like a ball over a net.
www.rogerebert.com www.rogerebert.com
 
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Double 0

Double 0

Member
Nov 5, 2017
7,464
This sounds like the exact type of movie my wife would love. Gonna see if I can get some tickets.
 
cabelhigh

cabelhigh

Member
Nov 2, 2017
1,726
Kinda hated Suspiria but when Guadagnino hits, he hits.

Guess I gotts throw this on the pile of great movies I need to see...
 
Mcfrank

Mcfrank

Member
Oct 28, 2017
15,258
Between this and Civil War, April is shaping up to be a good month. Glad I didnt cancel my A List.
 
cinch

cinch

Chicken Chaser
Member
Feb 17, 2019
1,248
been seeing trailers for this for awhile since i'm glued to the Tennis Channel, and Suspiria is one of my favorite horror films of the last decade, great reviews too so i'm in
 
Mister Ursine

Mister Ursine

Member
Sep 10, 2023
1,156
Timmy C passing the torch, the year of Zendaya is now in full swing. Guadagnino just doesn't miss. Even when something like Suspiria or Bones and All doesn't fully work for me, I still respect the ambition and enjoy the ride.
 
Teenage Fansub

Teenage Fansub

Member
May 24, 2019
22,245
I won a free double pass for next week. Hopefully it's uncomfortably horned out for the work colleague I got to take the other ticket 😆

I wonder if Tilda's in there somewhere. Disguised as an old man playing the umpire?
 
nonoriri

nonoriri

Member
Apr 30, 2020
4,255
Saw the trailer before Dune Part II and damn Zendaya was smoking in so many ways in it.

Glad to see it's landing.
 
Nightwing123

Nightwing123

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,416
Knew it was going to get great reviews based on how critics were talking about it before their official reviews. Either way I was definitely going to watch this for Zendaya and the director.
 
Azaan60

Azaan60

Member
Mar 18, 2020
1,400
So I just walked out of an advance screening and holy shit this was absolutely fantastic.

One of the best films of the year.

I'm predicting a Best Picture nom and a Best Actress nom for Zendaya.
 
Socivol

Socivol

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,692
I'm kinda surprised this is reviewing so well. The trailers looked so "been here done that" to me. I guess they were just not very good trailers.
 
noodlesoup

noodlesoup

Member
Feb 21, 2018
2,346
Chicago, IL
It's so bizarre how there's so much hate for this movie on Reddit as if Luca Guadagnino isn't the absolute GOAT. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since most Redditors are white dudes who don't like icky sex in their movies and have a hate boner for Zendaya.

It's whatever, though. I have my tickets secured for an early access IMAX screening on the 22nd and I am going to have a goddamn good time.
 
Sanjuro

Sanjuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,247
Massachusetts
I was shocked how well it could dance around being an actual sports movie. Outside of being overindulgent in some segments with the score and chaotic camera techniques in a couple of segments, this is really a spectacular film.
 
noodlesoup

noodlesoup

Member
Feb 21, 2018
2,346
Chicago, IL
Yeah, this was pure gas. Luca Guadagnino never fails to cook. Sure, this movie may be horny but it's just incredibly earnest in a way that I wasn't expecting. Nearly every sequence in this movie—be it action or dialogue—is meticulously crafted in a way to mimic the competitive nature of tennis; both intimacy and confrontation are served and exchanged between all involved parties in a manner that is deeply satisfying. Moreover, the entire cast is spectacular but it's Zendaya in particular that happens to bring a certain gravitas to the screen. Her character is an unpredictable force of nature who knows how to play both sides so well. And all of this culminates in what may be the most intense final sequence of a movie this year. It's super good stuff. Also, please see this movie in IMAX if you get the chance. This thing is somehow more electrifying than most blockbusters.
 
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Sanjuro

Sanjuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,247
Massachusetts
noodlesoup said:
Yeah, this was pure gas. Luca Guadagnino never fails to cook. Sure, this movie may be horny but it's just incredibly earnest in a way that I wasn't expecting. Nearly every sequence in this movie—be it action or dialogue—is meticulously crafted in a way to mimic the competitive nature of tennis; both intimacy and confrontation are served and exchanged between all involved parties in a manner that is deeply satisfying. Moreover, the entire cast is spectacular but it's Zendaya in particular that happens to bring a certain gravitas to the screen. Her character is an unpredictable force of nature who knows how to play both sides so well. And all of this culminates in what may be the most intense final sequence of a movie this year. It's super good stuff. Also, please see this movie in IMAX if you get the chance. This thing is somehow more electrifying than most blockbusters.
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I remember early in the film I'm like this doesn't really care about tennis. Then further way in, oh, he loves tennis.
 
Messofanego

Messofanego

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,285
UK
noodlesoup said:
It's so bizarre how there's so much hate for this movie on Reddit as if Luca Guadagnino isn't the absolute GOAT. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since most Redditors are white dudes who don't like icky sex in their movies and have a hate boner for Zendaya.

It's whatever, though. I have my tickets secured for an early access IMAX screening on the 22nd and I am going to have a goddamn good time.
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Where on Reddit? So I know where to avoid lol, but I don't go there anyway for movie opinions.
 
Darkmaigle

Darkmaigle

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,594
So is this still at the end of the day a sports movie? Wanna make sure I have my expectations right
 
Sanjuro

Sanjuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,247
Massachusetts
Darkmaigle said:
So is this still at the end of the day a sports movie? Wanna make sure I have my expectations right
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It is and it isn't. Obviously the first Rocky film kept coming into mind, though it offers much more modern day complexities about being a high level athlete.

See my prior post, the begining is very much tennis, but the film is actively telling you this isn't important right now, delving into the drive of these characters. It uses it as a backdrop for most of the film while unabashedly jumping around the timeline.
 
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