Challengers(2024)

R
2h 11m

Release Date: Apr 26, 2024 | Wide

88%
74%
B+
7.1

Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, transformed her husband into a champion. But to overcome a recent losing streak and redeem himself, he'll need to face off against his former best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend.

Releases

Original Release | Apr 26, 2024

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Box Office Results

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$15,011,061
Total US & Canada:
$50,119,408
Total International
$45,900,000
Total Worldwide:
$96,019,408

Current Showtimes

Your Location or

(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Luca Guadagnino
Director

Luca Guadagnino

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: Italy,United States

Language: English,Romanian

Summaries

Plot Summary

In 2006, high schoolers Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson are lifelong best friends and tennis doubles partners. After winning the Junior Open, they meet Tashi Duncan, a highly lauded young tennis prospect, to whom Patrick and Art are both attracted. Patrick invites Tashi to their hotel room, where the three make out but stop short of having sex. With the two boys playing each other the next day, Tashi says she will give her phone number to whichever wins. Patrick wins the match.Tashi and Art go on to play college tennis at Stanford University, while Patrick turns professional and begins a long distance relationship with Tashi. A jealous Art questions whether Patrick loves Tashi. Patrick and Tashi fight when she gives him unsolicited tennis advice. Immediately after, Tashi suffers a severe knee injury at a match. Patrick returns to comfort Tashi, but she demands he leave, and Art and Tashi tacitly sever ties with Patrick. Art comforts Tashi and aids in her recovery, but Tashi is unsuccessful in resuming her tennis career. A few years later, Tashi reconnects with Art and becomes his coach; the two begin a romantic relationship. However, Tashi and Patrick run into each other in Atlanta and have a one night stand, which Art secretly notices.Over 13 years later, now married, Tashi and Art are a wealthy power couple with a young daughter. With Tashi as his coach, Art has become a top professional tennis player. He is one US Open title away from a Career Grand Slam, though he struggles to regain his form after recovering from an injury. Tashi enters Art as a wild card in a Challenger event in New Rochelle, New York, so that he can boost his confidence by beating lower-level opponents. Patrick is now an unknown player living out of his car, scraping by on the winnings from lower-level tournaments, and happens to also enter the New Rochelle event. Starting at opposite ends of the seeding, Art and Patrick beat their respective opponents until they find themselves facing each other in the tournament's final match.Patrick secretly asks Tashi to be his coach and lead him to one last winning season, sensing she is unhappy with Art, but she rejects him. The night before the final, Art informs Tashi he plans to retire at the end of the season whether he wins the Open or not, despite knowing that Tashi is vicariously living her tennis career through him. Tashi tells Art that if he loses to Patrick, she will leave him. Afterwards, Tashi secretly meets with Patrick to ask him to throw the match to Art. Patrick reluctantly agrees, and Patrick and Tashi have sex.The day of the final, Tashi watches from the crowd as Art and Patrick are evenly matched. As Art takes the lead late in the match, Patrick begins to throw the match by serving repeatedly into the net. However, Patrick stops short of losing and instead taunts Art that he had sex with Tashi. An angry Art allows Patrick to score until they are again tied. In the final minutes of the match, Art and Patrick furiously trade turns. Art wins fairly, to the joy of himself and Patrick. Art and Patrick embrace on the court after years apart, as an elated Tashi cheers from the side.

Storyline

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. — MGM Tennis player turned coach Tashi has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him into a world-famous Grand Slam 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. — olisilumea

Movie Review

Challengers

Luca Guadagnino’s twisty, sexy, adult tennis saga entwines three players who understand each other (and themselves) on the court but have a harder time working outside the lines.

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