Challengers
Tennis player turned coach Tashi has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him into a world-famous Major champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she signs him up for a "Challenger" event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend.
Critics Sentiment
Tashi leads Art and Patrick in kissing before ending
Patrick asks Tashi to coach him to victory
The film drops significantly during the middle exposition sections before surging back up for the climactic tennis match.
Challengers starts strong with praised character-building and electric sexual tension, particularly in the hotel room scene that critics called sublime. The film struggles with pacing issues and confusing timeline jumps in its middle sections, leading to viewer restlessness. It recovers powerfully with revolutionary tennis cinematography in the final match, though the ending divides critics between those who see it as emotionally satisfying and those who call it a cop-out.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 32
Zendaya
Tashi Donaldson
Mike Faist
Art Donaldson
Josh O'Connor
Patrick Zweig
Darnell Appling
Umpire (New Rochelle Final)
Bryan Doo
Art's Physiotherapist
Shane T Harris
Art's Security Guard
Nada Despotovich
Tashi's Mother
Joan Mcshane
Line Judge (New Rochelle Final)
Chris Fowler
TV Sports Commentator (Atlanta 2019)
Mary Joe Fernández
TV Sports Commentator (Atlanta 2019)
A.J. Lister
Lily
Connor Aulson
Leo Du Marier
Doria Bramante
Woman With Headset (Atlanta 2019)
Christine Dye
Motel Front Desk Clerk
James Sylva
Motel Husband
Kenneth A. Osherow
Motel Husband
Kevin Collins
New Rochelle Parking Lot Guard
Burgess Byrd
USTA Official / Line Judge US Open Jr.
Jason Tong
Line Judge (New Rochelle Final)
Hudson Rivera
Y. Kucera (US Open Jr. Player)
Crew
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