Challengers Parent Guide

Teenage tennis phenom Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) is holding forth to two besotted male athletes about their sport. Tennis, she insists, is not about hitting a ball with a racket. Tennis is a relationship where two people, however briefly, develop a perfect understanding of each other and how they are going to play. She may or may not have described the essence of the sport, but the tortured relationship between the three of them will play out on and off the court for the next 13 years.

Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), friends since their early teens, are buzzing with excitement over earning slots in the US Open Juniors. They have maintained a friendly rivalry on the court, but that rivalry sours when they both fall for Tashi. Tashi isn’t in love with either of them – she doesn’t want the complications – but eventually she sleeps with one, marries the other; coaches one, and is professionally pursued by the other. Finally, the complex mix of love, lust, hate, and jealousy erupts at center court during a pivotal match…

Romantic triangles are a common plot element in romantic films but Challengers adds a twist to the familiar formula. In this case, the attraction goes in all three directions. Tashi is physically attracted to Art and Patrick; Patrick and Art want to bed Tashi, and the two men have a definite homoerotic pull to each other. In one of the most unexpected moments of the film, Tashi is sitting on a bed, being kissed by both men, only to duck down and leave the men passionately kissing each other. This doesn’t slow down their pursuit of Tashi, but it adds a wrinkle to the plot that never works itself out.

Also unusual for a romantic drama is the chilliness that emanates from the female lead. Tashi’s only passion in life is tennis; she uses the men for sex and her coaching career, but we never get the sense that they have room in her heart. If it’s passion you’re looking for, you’ll find it in Art and Patrick’s relationship. Whether in their exuberant friendship, physical attraction, or bitter hatred, they certainly have strong feelings for one another. In fact, I actually wonder if the film’s ambiguous ending is a hint that the two rivals are going to end up together, leaving Tashi icily alone.

Challengers is an unsatisfactory romantic flick. The characters are usually unlikeable, the ending is unsatisfying, and the negative content is higher than usual for the genre. Sexual content includes the aforementioned threesome on a bed (fully clothed), a very passionate make-out scene with Tashi in high cut underwear and a translucent bra, a frank discussion of teen boys masturbating, and an adulterous interlude (without graphic detail). Add in 50 sexual expletives, some smoking, and possibly underage drinking, and the film’s R-rating is well deserved.

Even if you’re prepared to remain courtside for the negative content, I’ll warn you about the movie’s annoying soundtrack and faulty editing that often leaves dialogue difficult to hear. The movie’s pacing is also problematic, with an excruciatingly long runtime that drags past two hours. The acting is usually good – Josh O’Connor blazes with intensity throughout the film – but that’s not enough to win this overlong, disappointing match.