Tennis is known to be a sport full of sweating and grunting, but perhaps people have never been so hot and bothered by it than after seeing Challengers. Luca Guadagnino’s romantic sports film — which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in a complicated love triangle — was being celebrated as “blisteringly sexy” by those who caught an early screening, and the Euphoria actress is a big reason for that. As the movie hits theaters on April 26, critics are raving about Zendaya’s performance.
Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a former tennis star forced into retirement (and coaching) after suffering an injury, and as she tries to help her husband Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) revive his career, things get complicated when Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) comes back into their lives. In CinemaBlend’s review of Challengers, Mike Reyes says Zendaya, O’Connor and Faist are a “performance power throuple” in this “white hot streak of spite, sex, and scorekeeping.” He gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars, writing:
Zendaya’s performance as Tashi Duncan is a flat out triumph. This should be a career defining role for her, as she dominates the screen with cold-as-ice one-liners and ferocious energy. Luca Guadagnino really seizes Zendaya’s strengths as a performer, and Justin Kuritzkes’ script provides her with dialogue destined to be quoted between the fan club that should be forming for this movie.
Karl Delossantos of Smash Cut Reviews rates it 5 out of 5 stars, saying that with this performance, Zendaya has further cemented her star status. She is the “movie star of a generation,” Delossantos says. The critic continues:
Zendaya plays Tashi with an easy confidence that captures you as much as it captures the boys. Her charisma mixed with a knowing wit is irresistible. Her performance is as much of a technical marvel as the well-captured tennis matches. From the start of the triangle, she is in complete control. Not because she wants to be, but because she knows she can.
Alex Bentley of CultureMap says the actress is firmly in the driver’s seat in this movie — just like her Tashi in the movie — despite her previous projects as a supporting character. If nothing else, Challengers will go down as the moment Zendaya finally got the chance to shine in the leading role she so richly deserves. Bentley says:
Zendaya, despite being a supporting character for male leads in the Spider-Man and Dune franchises, has become one of the brightest young stars in Hollywood, and she proves here why she deserves that acclaim. Even when aged up in this film, it’s impossible to take your eyes off her, making it clear why she was the perfect choice for the role. Feist and O’Connor both do well, although the vibe they both give off seems intentionally designed to allow Zendaya to shine above them.
Adam Graham of The Detroit News grades the movie an A, calling the lead actress “utterly radiant.” The movie overall is “magnificently fun,” Graham says, so much so that the Luca Guadagnino project is the best movie of the year so far. The critic continues:
Zendaya, Faist and O’Connor are a sizzling trio, conveying their obsession, determination and competition between their characters as athletes, friends and lovers in equal measure. (This would be a starmaking performance from Zendaya, if she weren’t already a gigantic star.)
Victoria Luxford of City AM says Zendaya continues her run of remarkable roles in this thriller, which boasts excellent direction and a strong threesome leading the way. The Dune: Part Two star has the meatiest role of the three, Luxford writes:
Zendaya’s is the most complex character – indeed it is perhaps the most intricate role of her young career. She is not there to be fought over by men, even if they do try. Instead, she is a driven, unapologetic taskmaster whose love for the game is greater than that for either player. No character here is a pillar of virtue, and that moral greyness is what makes their interplay so fascinating. While there aren’t particularly explicit sex scenes, the tension between all three raises the temperature to pearl-clutching levels.
If you’re a fan of Zendaya’s previous movies and TV roles, it sounds like you can’t miss the opportunity to see the sports romance Challengers in theaters. The film hits the big screen on Friday, April 26, and be sure to see what else is upcoming for Zendaya. Also don’t forget to take a peek at the 2024 movie release calendar to see what other flicks you might be interested in.
