NEW YORK (AP) — How sexy can a qualifying tennis tournament in New Rochelle, New York, be? When the on-court drama involves Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, the answer turns out to be quite a bit more than your average USTA singles match in Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.”
The film, directed by Guadagnino from a script by playwright Justin Kuritzkes, may have the appearance of a sports movie. Much of the action happens in between baselines. There are break points and short shorts. But in Guadagnino’s film, what’s being volleyed isn’t just a fuzzy little yellow ball.
“The ball is the ephemeral, invisible force of desire,” says Guadagnino, the director of “Call Me By Your Name” and “Bones and All.” “I wanted to show desire going back and forth.”
The result, by a score of about six-love, is the love triangle of the year. “Challengers,” which Amazon MGM Studios releases in theaters Friday, takes the melodrama of the threesome and gives it a breathless, bi-curious spin. That’s especially due to the multilateral chemistry between Zendaya, O’Connor and Faist — all actors in their late 20s or early 30s, all very capable of smoldering when called upon.
Bill Hader and Ali Wong can't stop giggling as the comedians leave loved
Delegations parade into stadium during opening ceremony of 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou
ACWF Honors 3 Women Dedicated to Curbing COVID
ACWF Calls on Women to Contribute to Battle Against Epidemic
QB Bryce Young excited about 'new faces' in Carolina after team's 2
ACWF President Presides over Symposium on Women and Children's Development in the 14th Five
Japan's Sapporo confirms abandoning bid for 2030 Winter Olympics
ACWF President Stresses Women's Wisdom and Strength in Anti
Teresa Giudice, 51, of RHONJ poses with her mini
ACWF Honors Woman Devoting to Girls' Education in Mountains
California cops, firefighters, and utility workers are earning up to $800k a year in overtime pay
MCA, ACWF Promote Harmony Within Families