Told in the span of 13 years from 2006 to 2019, the film explores the dynamic between three tennis players as they engage into a love triangle that would play into their personal and professional lives. The film is an unconventional genre-bending film where it plays into the intensity of the game of tennis and how the game also play into the lives of these three people who love the game. Justin Kuritzkes’ screenplay is told in a non-linear narrative where it shifts back and forth from this challengers’ match between two once-close friends in Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) who were once partners and won the boys’ junior doubles title at the U.S. Open in 2006 is where they would meet the tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan (Zendaya). The narrative takes place in 2019 where Donaldson has become a major star but has returned from injury and is on a losing streak with Tashi as both his wife and coach as she books him as a wild card for a Challenger event in New Rochelle, New York. Also, at New Rochelle there is Zweig whose career has fallen into hard times as he lives in his car and enters tournaments for money as he also takes part in the event.
Kuritzkes’ script explore the dynamic of the three where Tashi and Donaldson would both go to Stanford University in continuing their career in college with the former being slated to go pro until an injury threatened her career. Around that time, Tashi was dating Zweig who got her number after a game that Donaldson and Zweig played the year before. Yet, part of the reason into why Zweig and Tashi’s relationship had issues is due to the former’s immaturity and the latter’s own desire to be great in the game of tennis. After a few years in which Tashi and Donaldson reconnect with the latter asking the former to coach him, she finds a new lease on life, yet the presence of Zweig still looms. It all would be inter-cut with these images from what is happening at New Rochelle where there is a lot at stake in this match between Zweig and Donaldson for both.
Luca Guadagnino’s direction is stylish in the way he presents the game but also the period of 13 years in the life of these three people. Shot on location in Boston and areas near the city including some of its tennis stadiums, Guadagnino creates a world where these characters are driven by a game that requires a lot of skill, timing, strength, and mental capabilities. Guadagnino’s usage of wide and medium shots play into the length of a tennis court and the places the characters go to with the latter also appearing for intimate scenes involving the protagonists as they interact with one another. Most notably a scene in 2006 where Zweig, Donaldson, and Tashi are all talking and later engage into a threesome that highlights a lot of emotions that occur as it would also mark a change in the relationship between Zweig and Donaldson who knew each other in boarding school since they were 12. Guadagnino’s compositions do play into sexual tension among all three protagonists as well as this sense of competition that does play like a mental tennis match.
Guadagnino also create some unique set pieces such as a meeting late in the film between Zweig and Tashi on a late and windy night that plays into a lot of the emotional chaos that is happening. Even as it leads to this match that Zweig and Donaldson are to play where the match itself has Guadagnino create some unique compositions. Notably in a point-of-view shot from their perspective as they hit the ball with their rackets as well as other stylish shots that only adds to the intensity of the game. Guadagnino also plays into Tashi’s perspective as she is seen sitting in the middle where she would look at one of the men at times and sometimes at the middle. The final set for the match point is where everything comes into play as it is about the game and who wants to win it. Overall, Guadagnino crafts an exhilarating and riveting film about a love triangle between three players that come to ahead at a Challenger tennis tournament match.
Cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom does amazing work with the film’s cinematography in the way many of the daytime exterior scenes are shot as well as the scenes set at night including some of the interior scenes in the hotel suites that Tashi and Donaldson stay at. Editor Marco Costa does brilliant work with the editing where it has a lot of style in its rhythmic cutting and jump-cuts to play into the intensity of the tennis game as well as in the dramatic moments as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Merissa Lombardo, along with set decorator Jess Royal plus art directors Paul Alix, Jasmine Cho, and Matthew Gatlin, does excellent work with the look of the hotel rooms and hotel suites the characters stay in as well as a few places at the tennis club where the Challengers game happens. Costume designer J.W. Anderson does fantastic work with the costumes where some of it is stylish in some of the posh clothing that Tashi would wear as well as the clothes the men wear in the different years of their lives.
Hair designer Massimo Gattabrusi and makeup designer Fernanda Perez, along with prosthetics designer Howard Berger, do nice work with the look of the characters in the youthful and shaggy look of Donaldson early in the film that would later become Zweig’s look later along with the hairstyles that Tashi would have as she gets older. Special effects supervisor John Ruggeri, along with visual effects supervisors Brian Drewes, Harut Harutyunyan, and Riza Patel, does terrific work with the visual effects as it relates to some of the tennis scenes including the climatic game in the film. Sound designer Paul Carter and sound editor Craig Berkey do superb work with the sound in how a ball sounds when it hits a tennis racket as well as the atmosphere of a tennis stadium where is a lot of detail that is captured in the sound.
The film’s music by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross is phenomenal for its pulsating and hypnotic electronic-based score that include themes that play into the characters as well as the games that occur in the film while music supervisor Robin Urdang compiles a music soundtrack that features music from Nelly, David Bowie, Spoon, Fine Young Cannibals, Devonte Hynes, Lily Allen, Blu Cantrell, Bruce Springsteen, Benjamin Britten, Patty Pravo, Caetano Veloso, Extreme Music, and some classical pieces that add to drama in the film.
The casting by Francine Maisler is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Burgess Byrd as a USTA official who was also a line judge at earlier Zweig/Donaldson match, Nada Despototvich as Tashi’s mother who often watches her granddaughter, Naheem Garcia as Tashi’s father in the 2006 scenes, Darnell Appling as the umpire for the Challengers game between Zweig & Donaldson, A.J. Lister as Tashi and Donaldson’s daughter Lily, and Hailey Gates as a blind date that Zweig meets in New Rochelle at the hotel where Tashi and Donaldson were staying at. Mike Faist is marvelous as Art Donaldson as a reserved young man who would be more of a friend to Tashi and later her husband where he deals with recovering from his own injury and a losing streak where he becomes unsure if he wants to continue.
Josh O’Connor is remarkable as Patrick Zweig as the more arrogant of the two men as he is skilled in the game, but he is also immature when it comes to emotions where he would deal with living in his car and barely making money while also having feelings for Tashi. Finally, there is Zendaya in a tremendous performance as Tashi Duncan as a former tennis prodigy turned coach who has a love for the game as well as a better understanding of it in terms of chemistry, emotion, and strategy. Zendaya’s performance is also filled with a lot of grit as well as a sensuality that makes her appealing for the men to be entranced to as she also has amazing chemistry with both O’Connor and Faist as it is one of her finest performances to date.
Challengers is a sensational film by Luca Guadagnino that features great performances from Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist. Along with Justin Kuritzkes’ compelling script, gorgeous visuals, its mixture of sports and drama, and a phenomenal music score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The film is a fascinating and ravishing film that is both a unique study of the sport of tennis as well as the people who play the game as they are caught in a chaotic love triangle. In the end, Challengers is a spectacular film by Luca Guadagnino.
Related: (null 18 [MIXED]) – (null 18)
Luca Guadagnino Films: (The Protagonists) - (Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory) - (Mundo civilzado) - (Cuoco contadino) - (Melissa P.) - (The Love Factory No. 3 Pippo Delbono - Bisogna morire) – I Am Love - (Bertolucci on Bertolucci) – A Bigger Splash - Call Me By Your Name - Suspiria - The Staggering Girl - (Fiori, Fiori, Fiori) – (Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams) – (We Are Who We Are (2020 TV series)) – Bones and All - (Queer) - (After the Hunt)
© thevoid99 2025
Set during the Regency-era of England, the film revolves around the activities of a young woman in the titular character of Emma Woodhouse who likes to be a matchmaker as she also copes with her own desires in life while improving the lives of others. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it explores a young woman who seems to have a lot of influence on those she meets yet often finds herself sparring with her brother-in-law’s brother in George Knightley (Johnny Flynn). The film’s script is told in the span of the year and broken into four seasons beginning with autumn and ending in the summer. It all play into Emma’s own pursuit of control and success in matchmaking as she befriends a student in Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) who lives in an orphanage of sorts as she is awaiting the identity of her father. Emma tries to get Smith to be in a relationship with the young vicar in Mr. Elton (Josh O’Connor) that doesn’t go well while she also tries to be get in a relationship for herself with her former governess’ step-son Frank Churchill (Callum Turner).
The script uses the four season structure to play into Emma’s growth as a person but also in her friendship with Smith and rivalry with Knightley although the latter also cares for Emma’s father (Bill Nighy) who copes with the idea of being alone though Emma plans not to leave him. The script also play into Emma’s relationships with others including Miss Bates (Miranda Hart) whom Emma is fond of as well as her former governess Mrs. Weston (Gemma Whelan) and her husband Mr. Weston (Rupert Graves). Notably as Emma would meet Churchill as she has to deal with the presence of Mrs. Bates’ niece Jane Fairfax (Amber Anderson) as it would create a rivalry of sorts for Churchill’s affections that would serve as a challenge to Emma who is forced to confront her own faults.
Autumn de Wilde’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in her presentation from the meticulous attention to detail in her framing as well as the way she presents this vibrant period of the times in England as it is shot on various locations in Britain with Firle Place in Sussex as the exterior of Emma’s home. The direction has de Wilde maintain this sense of atmosphere in the film as she also maintains a certain look for each season to recreate this idea of what it was like in those times. The usage of wide and medium shots add to the look of the film where de Wilde create these striking compositions that include shots of young girls wearing red robes walking in the background. There are also these shots that do look like they’re recreation of paintings while de Wilde also knows when to use close-ups as whether it’s a close-up of a face or hands as it says a lot in doing so little. It showcases the attention to detail in what de Wilde wants to capture in the way characters behave towards one another while choosing to create scenes that help play into the drama or a comedic moment.
Much of the film’s humor is low-key as de Wilde knows when to create something that is funny but it is done with much subtlety in the way Smith reacts to Mr. Elton’s portrait or the way Emma reacts to a bad situation along with her own feelings towards Mr. Knightley later in the film. The direction has de Wilde also maintain this air of tension that does start to loom in the third act with some revelations about Churchill as well as Emma losing some sense of control as she is forced to deal with her own growing pains. Still, de Wilde does find a way to flesh out the story and characters where it would allow Emma to figure things out but also do something for herself towards the end. Overall, de Wilde crafts an intoxicating and heartfelt film about a young woman who plays matchmaker for those around her while coping with her own faults and feelings about herself and everyone else.
Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt does brilliant work with the film’s lush and colorful cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes set in sunny days to its usage of low-key lights and filters for a few scenes in the winter along with candle lights for a few nighttime interior scenes. Editor Nick Emerson does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the dramatic and comedic reaction of characters. Production designer Kave Quinn, with set decorator Stella Fox and supervising art director Andrea Matheson, does amazing work with the interior look of the rooms and places that Emma and other characters go to including some of the shops and the ballroom for the ball scene at Miss Bates’ home. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne does fantastic work with the costumes as it has a lot of life from the simplest of clothing to the lavish dresses the women wear as it is a highlight of the film.
Hair/makeup designers Marese Langan, Laura Allen, and Claudia Stolze do wonderful work with the design of the hairstyles as there’s a lot of attention to detail into the hairstyles that the women have including some of the things that Emma has on her head. Special effects supervisor Neal Champion and visual effects supervisor Dillan Nicholls do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal special effects as it is largely bits of set dressing to help enhance the visuals. Sound editor Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the film’s sound as it adds to the atmosphere of the scene in capturing the natural locations along with some mixing in the way music and sparse sounds are heard in a room. The film’s music by Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer is incredible for its mixture of orchestral music and the folk music of the time as it adds to the humor and drama with some lush string arrangements in some parts of the film while music supervisor Becky Bentham help provide the array of folk themes that were available during those times including a few originals that add to the atmosphere of the period.
The casting by Jessica Ronane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Chloe Pirrie as Emma’s sister Isabella, Oliver Chris as George’s brother and Isabella’s husband John, Tanya Reynolds as a young woman in Augusta whom Mr. Elton would be with later in the film, Gemma Whelan as Emma’s former governess in Miss Taylor who becomes Mrs. Weston, Rupert Graves as Mr. Weston who does what he can to help Emma out, Amber Anderson as Miss Bates’ niece Jane Fairfax who becomes a source of competition for Emma although she is really a nice person, and Connor Swindells in a superb performance as Robert Martin as a friend of Mr. Knightley who pursues Harriet as he is someone that doesn’t have much to offer but is still a man of honor. Callum Turner is terrific as Frank Churchill as Mr. Weston’s son from his first marriage who is a charming young man that intrigues Emma though he is also quite cagey in the way he reacts towards Miss Fairfax.
Josh O’Connor is fantastic as Reverend Mr. Elton as a young vicar whom Emma tries to have him be a suitor for Harriet only he’s kind of a dimwit with other interests instead of Harriet as he would also prove to be much colder later in the film. Miranda Hart is excellent as Miss Bates as a woman who had been a lifelong family friend to Emma as she is trying to organize balls and be helpful to Emma and Harriet as it is an understated yet touching performance from Hart. Bill Nighy is brilliant as Mr. Woodhouse as Emma’s father as a man of great importance as well as being wise to the young people while lamenting over the idea of being lonely and ill since he is unable to deal with cold weather as it is a touching performance from Nighy. Johnny Flynn is amazing as Mr. George Knightley as a young man who is close with Emma’s family as he isn’t fond of Emma’s schemes and her behavior yet also is aware of her value as he also is attentive towards Harriet following Mr. Elton’s snub towards her proving he’s a good man that Emma really needs.
Mia Goth is phenomenal as Harriett Smith as a young woman who is awaiting the identity of her father as she lives in a school/orphanage where she becomes Emma’s friend while trying to find herself and her own wants in life as it is this mesmerizing and heartfelt performance from Goth. Finally, there’s Anya Taylor-Joy in a tremendous performance as the titular character as this young woman who likes to be a matchmaker and be in control of everything. Taylor-Joy brings a lot of wit and charisma to her performance but also bring up this air of naïveté as someone who doesn’t know as much as she believes as it is a career-defining performance for Taylor-Joy.
Emma is a sensational film from Autumn de Wilde that features a great leading performance from Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, its theme of love and control, a mesmerizing music score, and gorgeous locations. The film is definitely a compelling and whimsical comedy-drama that plays into the ideas of love and a young woman’s perception of it as it is faithful to the ideas and vision of its creator in Jane Austen. In the end, Emma is a phenomenal film from Autumn de Wilde.
© thevoid99 2021
