I Don’t Think I Am The Target Demographic For This Film | My Thoughts On Challengers
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I remember sobbing in the theater during the last 20 minutes of Call Me By Your Name in 2017. The movie was so beautiful and moving, and I was interested in watching other films directed by Luca Guadagnino.
In 2024, I finally got around to watching another one of his films, which happened to be one of the most hyped films of the year. Everyone was talking about how good it was. I missed Challengers in theaters but watched it on Christmas Eve and finished it on Christmas Day. I went in with high expectations and was thoroughly disappointed.
About Challengers (2024)
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Summary from IMDB.com - From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist - West Side Story), Tashi's strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O'Connor - The Crown) - his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
I’m Not The Target Demographic
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I believe most of my problems with this film boil down to not being the target demographic for this film, and that’s ok.
There were things about it that I liked, which I will get into in a bit, but overall, this film was not for me, and therefore, I didn’t enjoy it. How this film relies on basically little to no plot and instead relies on sex to drive what little plot it had felt shallow to me. I did find myself feeling uncomfortable during every steamy scene…
Those Time Skips Were Confusing
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Another thing that threw me off was the time jumps. I found them hard to follow. The time jumps were only stated on screen as ‘thirteen years ago’ or ‘midnight,’ which was complex for my brain to comprehend.
A more precise time indicator would have been helpful, like full dates for each time jump or even just the year. I was lost and had to rely on the length of Tashi’s hair to let me know where we were in the timeline.
Things I liked
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I enjoyed Zendaya's performance as the cold-hearted Tashi. She was blunt and cutthroat and cared only about herself.
I liked the music, even if it was sometimes a bit jarring. But it was a vibe.
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As much as that final 20 minutes confused me, I loved the camerawork during the last set between Patrick and Art. The shots of the camera looking underneath them as they played tennis above and the POV of the tennis ball were cool.
I also really liked the film's color grading.
Even though Challengers disappointed me, in still thoroughly excited about Queer, Luca’s directorial style is a favorite of mine, and I think that is the only reason why I finished the movie.
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Hi! I’m Andrea, the creator of Cinematic Excursions.
I am a video editor, photographer, travel and events vlogger, and blogger who likes to write movie analyses and yap about fandom. I also have a useless film degree.
I have been creating videos since 2018. In 2023, I started Cinematic Excursions to share my unfiltered experiences traveling, cruising, going on excursions, and using city cards that are supposed to save money.
I also use my platform to document my experience attending events like New York Comic-Con, MCM Comic-Con London, and the Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival, advising others and covering news from these events.