CHALLENGERS (2024)
Starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, Jake Jensen, Darnell Appling, Bryan Doo, Shane T Harris, Nada Despotovich, Joan Mcshane, Chris Fowler, Mary Joe Fernandez, AJ Lister, Connor Aulson, Doria Bramante, Christine Dye, James Sylva, Kenneth A. Osherow, Kevin Collins, Burgess Byrd, Jason Tong, Hudson Rivera, Noah Eisenberg and Emma Davis.
Screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino.
Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios. 131 minutes. Rated R.
It’s a problem when you see a movie about a love triangle in which all of the points of that triangle are so toxically unlikeable that you tend to think that they all deserve the misery that they are causing each other.
Oh, sure, some of them are better than others. One of the guys is simply horribly needy, cut off from his feelings and passive aggressive. One of the guys is immature, untrustworthy, vain, jaded and constantly trying to steal his best friend’s girl. In the meantime the woman is a complete horror – selfish, mean, angry, manipulative, unfeeling and treats both of the guys like trash.
You never really understand why both guys seem to be so obsessed with her, other than the possible fact that she is much hotter looking than either of them.
And honestly, with the only slightly closeted homoerotic subtext which kept rearing its head between the two male leads, you tend to think their lives would have been a lot happier had they just forgotten the girl and hooked up with each other.
The real challenge in Challengers is to find a character to root for – either as lovers, or as friends, or even simply as tennis pros. Good luck with that.
Challengers looks at this threesome, flipping back and forth in time over a period of about 13 years. We watch the characters grow from horny college tennis phenoms to horny regulars on the pro circuit, all the while never growing emotionally.
The main character (so much as there is a main character) is Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), an attractive-but-jaded teen tennis phenom whose career is cut short too early by a knee injury. We meet her before she has that life-altering wound, though, when she is still full of potential as a college tennis phenom.
The dudes are Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), who have been friends playing together on the circuit since they were kids. They meet up with Tashi at a teen tournament, talk her up to their room to try to get her drunk. (And, of course, the idea of seducing her lingers in the back of their minds.)
Tashi is more than willing to tease the horny, shy boys, and ends up making out with both of them on the bed – and then she slips out of the embrace and sits back and watches them making out with each other.
Tashi insists early on that she doesn’t want to be a homewrecker, but that is exactly what she becomes, metaphorically.
Over the years Tashi hooks up with both of the guys. First, she is with Patrick, but when she is injured and it becomes obvious that Art has a better career path than Patrick, she gets involved with Art, first as his trainer and eventually as his wife. But their fragile marriage (and their small child) doesn’t mean Tashi is above periodically sleeping with Patrick.
The guys' battle for Tashi is symbolized in their climactic tennis match, which is peppered in throughout the film. Art is near the top of the standings and Patrick is just barely holding on to his spot in the circuit. Art is considering retiring to become a family man (a choice which Tashi is very much against) and wants to go out on top. Patrick needs a big win in order to stay on the pro circuit. Therefore it becomes a grudge match for a pair of guys who already have a serious grudge against each other.
Challengers also does its best to turn tennis into a blood sport, which may even be true, but still it is a bit disorienting on film. The ball constantly hits the racket with a loud report like a gunshot, and on each lunge on the court the players grunt like they are being tortured. While, in fairness, there is some very spectacular tennis footage here, these runaway sound effects also have the tendency of distancing the viewer from the action.
In fairness, Challengers is an extremely well-made film, with good acting on all sides, some terrific sports footage and an evocative visual sense. I just can’t get over the fact that all three of the main characters are such jerks that it is hard to care about any of their lives, careers and their very messy love lives.
Jay S. Jacobs
Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: April 25, 2024.
3 notes
·
View notes
Changes to the Popular Pairing List
Over nearly 9 years of Femslash Revolution, we have watched the popularity of many, many pairings rise and fall again. In order to better reflect this, we have decided to switch how we define our popular pairing list, which determines which pairings are too popular to be posted on Rarepair Thursdays.
Previously, posts were added to the list when they had appeared on the blog over 20 times across its whole duration. Under the new system, we will look at the number of appearances in the 10,000 most recent posts, which reflects approximately the last 18 months of content. Any pairing with more than 10 posts in that time span will be added to the list, while older pairings which no longer receive so many posts will be removed.
The full contents of the new Popular Pairing List appears below the cut.
Abby Holland x Harper Caldwell (Happiest Season)
Abigail x Tallie (The World to Come)
Addy Hanlon x Beth Cassidy (Dare Me)
Adena El Amin x Kat Edison (The Bold Type)
Adora x Catra (She Ra: Princess of Power)
Aerith Gainsborough x Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy)
Aino Minako x Hino Rei (Sailor Moon)
AJ Campos x Paige Evans (Crush)
Alana Bloom x Margot Verger (Hannibal)
Alex Danvers x Kelly Olsen (Supergirl)
Alex Nunez x Paige Michalchuk (Degrassi: The Next Generation)
Alexis Rose x Twyla Sands (Schitt’s Creek)
Alicia x Leighton (The Sex Lives of College Girls)
Alina Starkov x Genya Safin (Shadow and Bone)
Allison Argent x Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)
Allison McRoberts x Patty O'Connor (Kevin Can F**k Himself)
Alyssa Greene x Emma Nolan (The Prom)
Amae Rali x Elida Al Feyr (Vagrant Queen)
Amalia True x Penance Adair (The Nevers)
Amanda Clarke x Emily Thorne (Revenge)
Amanita Caplan x Nomi Marks (Sense8)
Amity Blight x Luz Noceda (The Owl House)
Amy Silva x Kirsten Longacre (Vigil)
Ana Servin x Mariana Herrera (Madre solo hay dos)
Andi Agosti x Emília Alo (Rebelde)
Andi Mack x Buffy Driscoll (Andi Mack)
Andrea Sachs x Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)
Andromache of Scythia x Quynh (The Old Guard)
Aneela x Delle Seyah Kendry (Killjoys)
Anissa Pierce x Grace Choi (Black Lightning; DCU)
Ann Walker x Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack)
Anne Shirley x Diana Barry (Anne of Green Gables; Anne With An E)
Anne Shirley x Diana Barry x Ruby Gillis (Anne With An E)
April Stevens x Sterling Wesley (Teenage Bounty Hunters)
April Young x Rebekah Mikaelson (The Vampire Diaries)
Arizona Robbins x Callie Torres (Grey’s Anatomy)
Asahina Aoi x Ogami Sakura (Dangan Ronpa)
Asami Sato x Korra (The Legend of Korra)
Aster Flores x Ellie Chu (The Half Of It)
Audrey Jensen x Emma Duval (MTV Scream)
Aurora x Mulan (Once Upon A Time)
Ava Daniels x Deborah Vance (Hacks)
Ava Sharpe x Sara Lance (Legends of Tomorrow)
Ava Silva x Sister Beatrice (Warrior Nun)
Barbara Howard x Melissa Schemmenti (Abbott Elementary)
Beauregard Lionett x Jester Lavorre (Critical Role)
Beauregard Lionett x Yasha Nydoorin (Critical Role)
Beca Mitchell x Chloe Beale (Pitch Perfect)
Becky Baker x Imogen Moreno (Degrassi: The Next Generation)
Bella Swan x Rosalie Hale (Twilight)
Bellatrix Lestrange x Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Bernadetta von Varley x Edelgard von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem)
Blair Waldorf x Jenny Humphrey (Gossip Girl)
Blake Belladonna x Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)
Bobbie Draper x Chrisjen Avasarala (The Expanse)
Bonnibel Bubblegum x Marceline Abadeer (Adventure Time)
Bonnie Bennett x Nora Hildegard (The Vampire Diaries)
Bradley Jackson x Laura Peterson (The Morning Show)
Brittany Pierce x Santana Lopez (Glee)
Buffy Summers x Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Caitlin Snow x Iris West (The Flash)
Caitlyn x Vi (Arcane: League of Legends; League of Legends)
Calliope Burns x Juliette Fairmont (First Kill)
Cameron Howe x Donna Clark (Halt and Catch Fire)
Camina Drummer x Naomi Nagata (The Expanse)
Candace Powell x Lilly Fortenberry (Astrid and Lilly Save The World)
Carina Deluca x Maya Bishop (Station 19)
Carol Danvers x Maria Rambeau (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Caroline Forbes x Valerie Tulle (The Vampire Diaries)
Carrie x Flynn (Julie and the Phantoms)
Casey Gardner x Izzie (Atypical)
Cassandra x Rapunzel (Disney Princesses)
Charlotte Murchison x Mary Anning (Ammonite)
Cheryl Blossom x Toni Topaz (Riverdale)
Christina Braithwhite x Ruby Baptiste (Lovecraft Country)
Christine Chapel x Nyota Uhura (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Claire Novak x Kaia Nieves (Wayward Sisters)
Clarke Griffin x Lexa (The 100)
Clary Fray x Isabelle Lightwood (The Mortal Instruments)
Cora Hale x Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)
Cosima Niehaus x Delphine Cormier (Orphan Black)
Cristina Soto x Joana Bianchi (Skam Spain)
Dana x Rachel (Mythic Quest)
Dani Clayton x Jamie (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
Dani Núñez x Gigi Ghorbani (The L Word)
Dani Ramos x Grace (Terminator: Dark Fate)
Daphne Blake x Velma Dinkley (Scooby Doo)
Debbie Ocean x Lou (Ocean’s Eight)
Deena Johnson x Samantha Fraser (Fear Street)
Dina x Ellie (The Last of Us)
Dina x Sydney Novak (I Am Not Okay With This)
Dinah Lance x Helena Bertinelli (DCU)
Dot Campbell x Fatin Jadmani (The Wilds)
Eleanor Shellstrop x Tahani Al Jamil (The Good Place)
Eleven x Max Mayfield (Stranger Things)
Ellen Waverly x Pam Horton (For All Mankind)
Elphaba Thropp x Glinda Upland (Wicked)
Elsa x Honeymaren (Disney Princesses)
Emily Dickinson x Sue Gilbert (Dickinson; Wild Nights With Emily)
Emily Prentiss x Jennifer Jareau (Criminal Minds)
Emma Swan x Regina Mills (Once Upon A Time)
Eve x Mazikeen (Lucifer)
Eve Polastri x Villanelle (Killing Eve)
Fatin Jadmani x Leah Rilke (The Wilds)
Fatou Jallow x Kieu My Vu (Druck)
Finch x Josie Saltzman (Legacies)
Fleur Delacour x Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Flynn x Julie Molina (Julie and the Phantoms)
Fran x Marla Grayson (I Care A Lot)
Francesca Findabair x Fringilla Vigo (The Witcher)
Frankie Bergstein x Grace Hanson (Grace and Frankie)
Gabrielle x Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)
Ginny Weasley x Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Ginny Weasley x Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)
Greta Moreno x Riley Luo (Generation)
Gwendolyn Briggs x Mildred Ratched (Ratched)
Haniwa x Wren (See)
Hannah Miller x Sarah Fier (Fear Street)
Harleen Quinzel x Pamela Isley (DCU)
Helen Sinclair x Liv Chenka (Doctor Who)
Helena Wells x Myka Bering (Warehouse 13)
Héloïse x Marianne (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
Hen Wilson x Karen Wilson (911)
Hermione Granger x Narcissa Malfoy (Harry Potter)
Hermione Granger x Pansy Parkinson (Harry Potter)
Himemiya Anthy x Tenjou Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Hope Mikaelson x Josie Saltzman (Legacies)
Hope Mikaelson x Lizzie Saltzman (Legacies)
Imogen Temult x Laudna (Critical Role)
Jackie x Shauna Shipman (Yellowjackets)
Jadzia Dax x Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Jen Harding x Judy Hale (Dead to Me)
Jennifer Check x Needy Lesnicki (Jennifer’s Body)
Jeong Seo hyeon x Suzy Choi (Mine)
Joan x Zoey Clarke (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)
Joann Owosekun x Keyla Detmer (Star Trek: Discovery)
Jules Thomas x Ophelia Mayer (Sweet Vicious)
Jules Vaughn x Rue Bennett (Euphoria)
Kaioh Michiru x Tenoh Haruka (Sailor Moon)
Kara Danvers x Lena Luthor (Supergirl)
Karolina Dean x Nico Minoru (Marvel Comics; Runaways)
Kate Whistler x Lucy Tara (NCIS: Hawai'i)
Kathryn Janeway x Seven of Nine (Star Trek: Voyager)
Keeley Jones x Rebecca Welton (Ted Lasso)
Kelly x Yorkie (Black Mirror)
Kim Kelly x Lindsay Weir (Freaks and Geeks)
Kira Yukimura x Malia Tate (Teen Wolf)
Lady Hideko x Sook Hee (The Handmaiden)
Lauren Bloom x Leyla Shinwari (New Amsterdam)
Lavender Brown x Parvati Patil (Harry Potter)
Lucy Westenra x Mina Murray (Dracula)
Margaery Tyrell x Sansa Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire)
Maria Hill x Natasha Romanoff (Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics)
Max Baker x Sophie Sanchez (Ginny & Georgia)
Maya Hart x Riley Matthews (Girl Meets World)
Mencía Blanco Commerford x Rebeka Parrilla de Bormujo Ávalos (Elite)
Michael Burnham x Philippa Georgiou (Star Trek: Discovery)
Moiraine Damodred x Siuan Sanche (Wheel of Time)
Molly x Nick (No Good Nick)
Namaari x Raya (Raya and the Last Dragon)
Nancy Wheeler x Robin Buckley (Stranger Things)
Neopolitan x Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)
Nicole Haught x Waverly Earp (Wynonna Earp)
Nyota Uhura x T'Pring (Star Trek)
Nyssa al Ghul x Sara Lance (Arrow)
Paris Geller x Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
Raelle Collar x Scylla Ramshorn (Motherland: Fort Salem)
Raffi Musiker x Seven of Nine (Star Trek: Picard)
Regina Mills x Ruby (Once Upon A Time)
Rey x Rose Tico (Star Wars)
River Song x Thirteenth Doctor (Doctor Who)
Root x Sameen Shaw (Person of Interest)
Ryan Wilder x Sophie Moore (Batwoman)
Seo Ji wan x Yoon Sol (Nevertheless)
Shane McCutcheon x Tess Van De Berg (The L Word)
Shelby Goodkind x Toni Shalifoe (The Wilds)
Tara Maclay x Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Thirteenth Doctor x Yasmin Khan (Doctor Who)
Tissaia de Vries x Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher)
Vivian Shing x Wilhelmina Pang (Saving Face)
Weiss Schnee x Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)
24 notes
·
View notes