Challengers
The trailer made this look so bad, and a movie about tennis and a love triangle probably is bad 99 out of 100 times but this was not one of those times. Zendaya's ability to pick winning projects is infallible I guess, and the electric performances from herself, Mike Faist & Josh O'Connor, along with their infectious chemistry just completely sucks you in. Jord, who is somehow anemic to banger music, was rattled by Trent Reznor's techno score that was persistently in your face, and amplified every soapy moment to such an over the top level, but in a good way. Rarely do you get a soap opera that has A+ writing, Twin Peaks being one of the few pieces of media that has ever pulled it off, and this was one of those rare treats. Guadagnino's directing had just a few missteps, perhaps an overindulgent ending (but also perfect), and between this and Call Me by Your Name, the man has produced some of the hottest melodrama this century. Must watch.
-Z
