Challengers, the latest film from acclaimed film director Luca Guadagnino, follows professional champion, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), who plots a comeback with the help of his wife, Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy, as he goes against another player, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), his former best friend and his wife’s former lover. The film was initially meant to debut in September 2023, but was delayed to April 2024 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. This is Guadagnino’s 8th directorial feature.

The first Guadagnino film I ever saw was Call Me by Your Name, which also happens to be the earliest work of his that I have seen. Since then, the film impressed me enough to be intrigued in what he does next. He hasn’t had quite the high since that film in my opinion, so going into this, I wasn’t as nearly as excited as others were. Maybe I should have, because while he utilizes his own styles from the past, this film is also so far away from what he has done in the past, which probably makes this film his best work.

The film opens up to one of the most unique sequences that I have ever seen before the MGM lion roars over the logo. Similar to Dune: Part Two, there’s a sequence that sets the tone of the movie before the opening logo appears. It was so impressive that I even agreed with the decision. It also sets the tone that this is going to be unlike any other project that Guadagnino has ever done, at least from what I have seen in his filmography. After the logo disappears, the film leads into the main event, which is Art & Patrick battling it out over the tennis court with Tashi analyzing the event unfold literally in the middle of the court. You immediately get the sense that you don’t know which side she is on, which reflects the audience’s perception of these characters. You’re continuously going back and forth with these characters, and not really ever knowing what’s going to happen.

While Guadagnino utilizes aspects of his signature style in the film, it’s quite clear that he makes enough of a difference to indicate that this might be his most technically impressive film yet. When the camera pans over the tennis court over to Tashi, you get the real sense that the camera work acts like another character. The symbolism in its cinematography is also out of this world. When the tennis ball is hit back and forth, I got more of a flinch than I ever have with a 3D movie. Between the camera work and sound design, I truly felt like I was there on the tennis courts, embracing the highly energetic world that Guadagnino infuses into the film.

On an acting level, this is terrific all around. It’s hard to believe that they are able to capture this talent in two different time frames 13 years apart. When the film opens up, we are introduced to the present time in 2019, before we go back 13 years before to better understand why this tennis match is so important. It’s impressive how different the talent looks at these different ages when they already look young as it is. Zendaya plays Tashi’s younger self almost like you have seen her before, but as her character develops, the darker her character gets, making this Zendaya’s best performance yet. I can’t say that I have always been excited for her before, but after this, I am thrilled to see what she does next. Josh O’Connor gives one of the best performances of the year as he plays a likable jerk with so much charisma and confidence. I am campaigning for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination already. As for Mike Faist, you can see the emotional pain slowly eat at him over time, making his performance one that will surely allow Faist more roles going forward.

One aspect that I have been seeing complaining about is the structure, and honestly, I can totally understand that. There have been projects that have ruined the back-and-forth structure for me. I’d rather just see things unfold over time. While I can see that kind of structure working here, the structure grew on me over time as I found myself consistently going back and forth with who to root for, which is the whole point. It allows for a good opportunity to watch it again to better understand the film. It’s not even like it’s unnecessary like other projects that I have seen. Even though you are still seeing things in the present, you really can’t ever guess the background of these characters.

This leads into another aspect that I have seen other take issue with, and that’s with the marketing. Personally, I love when a trailed misleads me, but I could see where people were mislead, and ultimately disappointed. While there is a love triangle, it’s more mature than I thought it was going to be, leading into this rich character dynamic that kept me guessing throughout, which does lead into one one aspect that I didn’t like with the film.

I can totally understand the appeal to Guadagnino’s work. To me, as much as I enjoy his work, he tends to lean into aspects that pull me out because they don’t feel realistic for a film that is mostly realistic. I think there was more to explore with these characters before they make these big decisions. For example, we see the little threesome between the three characters, but it doesn’t go that far. Instead, Tashi tricks Patrick & Art into making out with each other. Once they realize what’s going on, they immediately stop, but go on with their lives like nothing happened. They even allude to the fact that Patrick is bisexual when he is on Tinder, but then nothing more is ever explained or shown with this. While it is purposeful to the plot, I believe there could have been more to understand the two male leads more into the decisions that they make.

On the other hand, my issue works somewhat well in the film’s conclusion. When Patrick & Art first meet Tashi, she explains that tennis is a relationship with her opponent, and that’s exactly what happens in the film’s final 10 minutes or so. We get a heart-pounding finish between the action, cinematography, and score. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross deliver another amazing score with one that kept me on the edge of my seat in this grand finale. The way the cinematography edits between different techniques brings you in on the action. It’s unlike anything else I have ever seen, especially coming from Guadagnino, showing that he is willing to take big ricks with each movie.

One final thing I want to bring up here is the way the soundtrack is presented. As mentioned, the score from Reznor & Ross had me so hyped that I even listened to the soundtrack on my way back home. What’s especially unique about the score here is how it even used in scenes where people are just simply speaking. While the music can be loud, it also matches the intensity of each scene. I can’t imagine what the scenes would have been like without that score rumbling in my Dolby theater.

Where the film ends may or may not bother people. I have even seen where viewers wanted more. I totally respect that, but I believe the way the film ends gives proper conclusion to the themes presented. Everyone in the end got what they wanted, but keeping the aftermath open-ended proves why it doesn’t fully matter, because these characters aren’t likable to begin with. Wanting to see more of them comes down to how amazing the talent is.

Overall, Challengers delivers on more than what I was expecting with cinematography and sound that made me feel like I was there on the action. The talent, especially from the core three characters, are at their best. The soundtrack ties the action together thanks to Trent Reznor’s and Atticus Ross’ score. I can’t wait to watch this again.

VERDICT: Amazing