Movie fans have praised Challengers as ’10/10′ and ‘absolutely phenomenal’ when the steamy sports film hit cinemas on Friday.
The blockbuster stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy who gives up her career after an injury and becomes a coach.
She begins training her colleague Art, who is played by Mike Faist, whom she falls in love with and marries.
However, Tashi becomes entangled in a love triangle when Art joins the Challenger Tour and competes against her ex Patrick, played by Josh O’Connor.
The film was praised by critics and received a fresh rating of 91 percent Rotten tomatoes and now moviegoers have doubled down on the good reviews by sharing their thoughts.
Zendaya’s new film Challengers has found great success with film critics praising the film for its ‘sexy romantic triangle’; Zendaya pictured with co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor
On X, formerly Twitter, viewers shared: ‘#Challengers the best movie I’ve seen all year. Z, Josh and Mike were fucking incredible! And I already hear talk. It’s definitely super cool to see my hometown in movies! And shout out to Darnell for being a great referee! 10 10 10s across the board!’;
‘Challengers is THE film of the year. the love triangle, the sexual tension, the dialogue, the score, zendaya. the amazing cinematography. This movie had me glued to the screen, it was everything and more. movies like this remind me why I love cinema so damn much #Challenger’;
‘#Challengers is a steamy, sexy sports film that takes place at the pace of a strong tennis match. Backed by a great score, Luca Guadagnino adds momentum to his style for a story that is admittedly more interesting in execution than in content. But when it comes to ‘hot’, it’s a winner.”
‘#Challengers reminds us why we go to the movies. Absolutely electric from start to finish. I was glued to every word our three leads spoke. It’s been a while since I audibly screamed/clapped when a movie ended, but this was it. THOSE LAST TEN MINUTES.’;
‘Challengers is absolutely phenomenal. A perfect mix of top sports drama and erotic thriller. Zendaya has never been better and owns every moment like the movie star she is. Faist and O’Connor are almost on her level the whole way. Edited and scored to perfection. 10/10’;
‘I just saw challengers and let me tell you… NOW THAT’S CINEMAAAAAA’; ‘The ending of Challengers is one of the most exciting films I’ve seen in a long time’; ‘challengers were so good 10/10’;
Moviegoers shared their thoughts on the film after critics also gave it rave reviews.
The film was described by Ty Burr as a ‘slick, sexy, hugely entertaining tennis-romantic triangle’ The Washington Post.
Meanwhile the Hollywood reporterDavid Rooney summarized the film as ‘Smart, seductive and packed with sexual tension’, adding that ‘Challengers is perhaps Luca Guadagnino’s most purely enjoyable film to date; it is certainly his lightest and most playful.”
The film currently has a fresh rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and was praised by Ty Burr for The Washington Post as a “slick, sexy, wildly entertaining tennis-romantic triangle.”
“Smart, seductive and packed with sexual tension,” wrote Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney, adding that “Challenger’s may be Luca Guadagnino’s most purely enjoyable film yet.”
“The film is a paean to hard work and hedonism, and even though the pleasures are mostly superficial – grass, clay, emotional – it’s still too long since we’ve had such intelligent stuff,” Burr added in his review.
Amy Nicholson of The Los Angeles Times calls it ‘a neat, mischievous, ferociously well-acted trifle about characters who are more likely to scribble something nasty on a toilet stall than to quote Heraclitus.’
She adds, “Zendaya’s performance cuts through the noise… She gets the funniest, meanest comebacks and holds the screen like a woman in charge, even as she lets the movie leer.”
“It wants to captivate and entertain you, and it does that very well,” says Manohla Dargis of the New York Times wrote about the film.
Brian Truitt from USA today suggested that Guadagnino the film ‘Falls somewhere between coming-of-age film, dysfunctional relationship drama and hip sports extravaganza with another compelling, hot-blooded story about flawed people figuring out their feelings.’
‘A funny, boisterous and exuberantly lustful story about how three athletic demigods find their fate turned upside down. And Guadagnino tells it the way he knows best, with a sometimes irritating but ultimately irresistible excess of style,” said Justin Chang of the New Yorker wrote.
David Sims out The Atlantic Ocean praised the film for being “much more exciting and triumphant than a simple story about someone lifting a trophy, or love conquering all.”
Amy Nicholson of The Los Angeles Times calls it “a polished, mischievous, ferociously well-acted trifle.”
In Challengers, Zendaya’s character – an aspiring tennis player Tashi Duncan – gives up her career after a serious injury. Instead, she focuses on coaching her colleague Art, played by Mike Faist, whom she falls in love with and marries
But Tashi finds her feelings dangerously divided after Art is signed up for the Challenger Tour, where he will face Tashi’s ex-boyfriend Patrick.
The New York Post Called Challengers this year ‘Saltburn’ – a nod to Emerald Fennell’s 2023 film, famous for its shockingly explicit scenes.
“Challengers may not be this director’s most psychologically illuminating film – the characters can sometimes feel like chess pieces rather than fully-fledged individuals – but it is almost certainly his most entertaining and fastest film,” Slate Dana Stevens wrote.
“The plot of Challengers may sound stale, and yet there is an electric spark in Guadagnino’s approach that elevates the material and makes it fresh,” says Peter Debruge of Variety joked.
However, not all wrestlers were impressed. Kyle Smith of the Wall Street Journal written, ‘[Luca Guadagnino] does its best to give substance to a thin, soapy story, but it relies so heavily on gimmicks (several montages feature electronic dance music) that it begins to seem desperate.”
In the meantime Gier’s Angelica Jade Bastién wrote: ‘The details of these people’s lives and their inner characteristics are so thinly drawn that they feel more like beautiful ideas running into each other, leaving little messes that are too easy to clean up.’
Meanwhile, Guadagnino previously praised Zendaya’s talents, explaining that she worked with tennis pro and former player Brad Gilbert to prepare for the role.
Luca told Variety last October: “She’s amazing. I mean, wow. We edited the film and we hardly use a double. She’s so good.
He added that “all three key players worked very hard – technically and athletically – for about three months.”
Zendaya was praised for her chemistry with her co-stars; seen on Wednesday with Josh and Mike in New York
Challengers was released on April 26
In a recent interview, Zendaya admitted that having an intimacy coordinator on set was “really helpful,” and praised her for ensuring a “safe” environment on set.
“We had an intimacy coordinator who was fantastic and very helpful because it was important that we felt safe,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
The film is infused with “intense” erotic scenes between Zendaya and her leads, so the trio had to find ways to relax when in front of the camera.
“I talked to my colleagues so we could find a way to feel comfortable. We played tennis together, we went out together, we rehearsed together,” she said. ‘We need to build a bond and feel good about each other.’