Challengers is a multi-faceted movie that serves as a twisted love story, sports drama and coming-of-age film. With three rapidly rising stars at the forefront, and Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino at the helm, it has been making waves in Hollywood after its release. Challengers has been showered in critical praise and grossed $15 million in its opening weekend.
As the movie continues to gain traction, it is drawing in audiences week by week. The film is being praised for its powerful performances, pulsing soundtrack and unique depiction of the world of tennis. So, let’s dissect just why Challengers is emerging as one of the most exciting movies of 2024.
How Challengers Revels In Its Unlikeable Characters
Movies often rely on relatable characters that audiences can root for, as this emotional connection fosters a deeper engagement with the story. Typically, these characters are flawed yet likable, making it easy for viewers to identify with their struggles and triumphs. Another common approach is to feature a character who undergoes significant growth, transforming from a flawed individual to a better person who rises to the occasion. With Challengers, the movie’s uniqueness comes from its flawed characters who never really feel like they overcome their shortcomings. While they achieve success in the field of tennis, their personal demons grip them till the very end of the movie.
The main focus of the movie is the love triangle situation between best friends Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and the young tennis star they are beyond smitten by, Tashi (Zendaya). The movie starts off with Art at the peak of his fame as a tennis player and Tashi acting as his coach. From here, he goes up against Patrick on the court and the viewers are then thrust in and out of different timescales as the love triangle situation is unveiled piece by piece. As we learn more and more about how each character has ended up where they are, our opinions of them are constantly shifted, giving the drama a tense feel amongst the drama and romance.
In terms of likability, all three characters are extremely hard to like. However, they are fascinating to watch due to their individual perplexties. Art and Patrick embody classic testosterone driven male personas as they compete for the love of the same woman. As they age throughout the movie, this tense competition has split them apart, no longer being friends despite knowing each other since they were children. At the heart of this broken relationship is of course Trish. To that, if the movie was to have a villain – she would be it. This dynamic leaves viewers frustrated at the men’s inability to see through Tashi’s manipulation whilst also enthralled by the power she has over the two of them.
Tennis Takes a Backseat Until It Finally Grips Like a Vice
As mentioned, the love triangle aspect of Challengers takes major precedent throughout the picture, with tennis feeling more like a mere backdrop. However, when the tennis matches land – they hit fast and sharp and are tightly-paced. Overlaid with pulsing, electronic music, the match scenes carry a tremendous amount of energy that grips like a vice. In fact, those who aren’t fans of tennis will surely be captivated by these scenes as they reflect an action sequence rather than a tennis match. Every hit of the ball offers a wallop that hits like a freight train and every serve and volley is equipped with its own obscure camera angle.
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Gear Up For More Oscar Success with a Landscaping Score
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are a musical duo who have been collaborating for over three decades, initially making a name for themselves as the core members of the influential alternative industrial band Nine Inch Nails. However, in recent years, they have expanded their creative horizons to focus on cinematic compositions, earning widespread acclaim and numerous accolades. Their work on film scores has been nothing short of remarkable, with notable successes including their Original Scores for David Fincher‘s The Social Network and the animated comedy Soul.
In Challengers, Reznor and Ross serve up a trance-like soundtrack that moves the film at a rapid pace. The tennis matches are intensely overidden with pulsating dance music that lends to the scenes’ urgency. Outside of the match scenes, Reznor and Ross build momentum with haunting synths that carry a sense of dread, edging the drama into thriller territory as the characters get deeper and deeper into the toxic love triangle. Although Challengers has been released outside of the typical window for Oscars contention, if the movie finds itself nominated in 2025, it’s safe to assume that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will be in the running to bag more gold. Want to read about more iconic soundtracks? Here are 10 movie soundtracks that became synonymous with their movies.
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