Zendaya’s new movie, Challengers, has come bursting out the gate with high praise from critics and an astonishing score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Luca Guadagnino’s sports movie slash sensual drama has already proved to be a hit. StarringZendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist,Challengershas hit the spot for many critics, who’ve showered the tennis-led tale of seduction and manipulation with praise.
OnRotten Tomatoes, the consensus is clear. At the time of writing, Challengers is sitting at 96%, making it the highest-rated movie on the platform for Luca Guadagnino, Zendaya, and Mike Faist.
For Mike Faist — who proved himself as a name to watch after his awe-inspiring take on Riff in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story — Challengers sits above the 95% rating of the biopic Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game.
By all accounts, it’s the must-watch movie of the year. Critics are highlighting Zendaya’s captivating and complex take on Tashi, a tennis superstar who tackles both the disintegration of her career and the vying affections of Art (Faist) and Patrick (O’Connor), as well as the technical and stylistic achievements of Challengers as a whole.
“Anchored by three arresting performances and playfully experimental direction, Challengers is fresh, exhilarating, and energetic,” wroteMaureen Lee Lenkerof Entertainment Weekly.
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Peter Debrugefrom Variety wrote: “The plot of “Challengers” might sound stale, and yet, there’s an electric spark to Guadagnino’s approach that elevates the material, rendering it fresh.”
Meanwhile, Hollywood Reporter’sDavid Rooneywrote: “Smart, seductive and bristling with sexual tension, Challengers is arguably Luca Guadagnino’s most purely pleasurable film to date; it’s certainly his lightest and most playful.”
Jessica Cullen is a TV and Movies Writer on Dexerto’s UK team. She’s previously written for The Digital Fix, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, Slate and more. Aside from being the residential Yellowstone expert, she also loves Westerns, ’90s action movies, and true crime. You can email her here: jessica.cullen@dexerto.com.
