'Challengers' Movie Review – Spotlight Report

‘Challengers’ is directed by Luca Guadagnino and stars Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, and Zendaya.

Tashi ( Zendaya) 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.

Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor give it their all in this film and they were a great addition to this amazing cast. Being the new guys on the block when it comes to big Hollywood productions, they’ve easily cemented themselves as actors with a long career ahead of them.

The actors both took up months of tennis training prior to the film starting production and this was something that really pays off on screen as their performances as tennis players is that much more captivating because of their efforts.

Zendaya is of course a standout and always brings her A game to any film she is a part of. She works very well on screen with Faist and O’Connor and their overall chemistry is strong throughout the duration of the film.

The cinematography of this film is something that really stands out as there are endless amounts of creatively executed shots that show off the sport of tennis, while at the same time, keeps it fresh and thrilling to watch throughout the course of the film.

The film has a lot of time jumps involved as we start the film in the present day and then go back and forth between past and present events to flush out the backstory of the film’s characters. At times this was a little jarring as some of these time jumps aren’t spaced out too well and happen very quick and abruptly.

The film’s runtime is roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes. This runtime could have been dramatically shortened to allow for a more seamless and smoother flowing story. After the first few time jumps and once the audience understands the relevant backstory of the characters, some of the time jumps seem pointless and sometimes take you out of the film.

Overall, ‘Challengers’ is a captivating sports romance flick that is worthy of a trip to the cinema if you get the opportunity. The film has something everyone can enjoy and if you’re a fan of the sport of tennis there is definitely a lot involved that you would appreciate.