Why watch?

Zendaya and Josh O'Connor play tennis rivals who used to be together and now they hate each other, and then Mike Faist shows up as the third point of the triangle — the court scenes are genuinely tense because there's all this history and anger between every rally. Luca Guadagnino plays with time in a weird way, jumping between past and present so you're never sure exactly when something happened, but it works because you keep guessing right. The whole thing smells like sweat and grass and sex, totally different vibe from other sports dramas — the way it looks sits somewhere between cinema and a video game.

Who is it for?

Watch this on an evening when you want romantic tension and emotional stakes between three people — it's not an action film, it's a psychological drama about rivalry and past feelings resurfacing. If you liked Call Me By Your Name or Titanic, you'll recognize Guadagnino's style here, just with tennis instead of a lake or a ship. Contains explicit sexual scenes, so definitely adult viewing — for people who appreciate when the camera gets close and personal with characters.

Similar titles

If you dug Challengers for the psychological obsession between three people locked in this intense competitive loop, check out Primeira Vitória — it has that same claustrophobic tension where every interaction feels like it could explode. Red Desert and Flesh and Blood do something similar with intimate spaces that feel suffocating, where the camera gets close enough to see someone's resolve crack.

  • Red DesertRed Desert (1964)
  • Flesh and BloodFlesh and Blood (2020)
  • In Harm's WayIn Harm's Way (1965)
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  • The Skin I Live InThe Skin I Live In (2011)
  • It’s Easier to Dream of Her AliveIt’s Easier to Dream of Her Alive (2025)
Plakat — Challengers

Challengers

2024 · 2h 12min6.9R
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Watch Trailer — YouTube

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⚠ Availability may change. Data provided by JustWatch via TMDB.

Classic overview

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.

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Three tennis players who grew up together find themselves competing against each other at the US Open, and the old friendships and romantic entanglements come roaring back. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor have this electric chemistry where you can feel the tension crackling every time they're in the same room. Luca Guadagnino shoots the matches like they're intimate duels, with close-ups on sweat and grimaces and the camera moving right along with the serves. If you liked Call Me By Your Name or First Reformed, you know how to read his films — this is tense, erotic, and about people wrestling with what they want versus what they've become.

Why watch?

Zendaya and Josh O'Connor play tennis rivals who used to be together and now they hate each other, and then Mike Faist shows up as the third point of the triangle — the court scene…

Who is it for?

Watch this on an evening when you want romantic tension and emotional stakes between three people — it's not an action film, it's a psychological drama about rivalry and past feeli…

Similar titles

If you dug Challengers for the psychological obsession between three people locked in this intense competitive loop, check out Primeira Vitória — it has that same claustrophobic te…

Cast

Creators

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