Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist set the court ablaze in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’
Zendaya has once again managed to fog up our screens (to the hilarious demise of Tom Holland) as she is caught in a tennis-inspired love triangle with The Crown’s Josh O’Connor, and West Side Story’s Mike Faist.
‘Challengers’ by Call Me By Your Name’s Luca Guadagnino features Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a tennis prodigy who encounters fellow players Art (Faist) and Patrick (O’Connor) and enters into a complicated relationship with them. Following an injury incurred during a match, Duncan marries Art and becomes his coach. The trio once again cross paths many years later as the two players head on a collision course both on and off the court.
Based on the newly-released trailer, ‘Challengers’ promises a story set in multiple time periods: when the trio first met and in the present day – highlighted by Zendaya’s change in hairstyle.
The unlikely encounter is also bound to unearth secrets held between the three. In the trailer, Patrick tells Art, “you’re disturbed by the fact that she could have been into someone like me,” to which Art replies, “when we were teenagers.” Patrick repeats the line with a huge smirk, hinting at another interaction Patrick is not aware of.
If anything, I’m reminded of Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis likening sex to tennis in ‘Friends with Benefits.’
The film’s official synopsis reads:
“From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist – West Side Story), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor – The Crown) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.”
Watch the trailer for ‘Challengers’ below.
