From almost all accounts, it seems like Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino has another hit on his hands with “Challengers,” a new tennis drama from MGM Studios that’s actually more of a love-triangle romance bundled into the sports genre. Starring Zendaya (Marvel’s “Spider-Man” franchise and the “Dune” series), Josh O’Connor (“Dr. Who,” “Peaky Blinders”), and Mike Faist, the breakout star of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” “Challengers” centers on a former tennis prodigy turned coach is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
READ MORE: ‘Challengers’ Review: Zendaya Rules This Love Triangle
Guadagnino is coming off his 2022 horror “Bones And All” starring Timothée Chalamet, but the reality is the prodigious filmmaker has shot so many things in the last few years, including the 2022 documentary “Shoemaker Of Dreams,” and the short film “O Night Divine” (2021). Guadagnino might even have two movies released in 2024 as his follow-up to “Challengers,” the adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ “Queer” starring Daniel Craig is done, ready, and should at least turn up at film festivals in the fall, if not receiving a domestic release.
“Challengers” also features an apparently excellent score by two-time Academy Award winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network,” “Soul”). Our review of the film called it a significant winner, likening it to “Guadagnino and editor Marco Costa throwing a rave on the court And, it’s so freakin’ well done, you won’t care who wins.”
Here’s the official synopsis:
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist – West Side Story), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor – The Crown) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
“Challengers” is currently sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s certainly poised to take off at the box office. The movie opens this Friday, April 26. Watch the final trailer below.