Just how gay is ‘Challengers’? The stars of the erotic tennis drama unpack its queer themes
Challengers—the latest film from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino—was the image of stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist sitting on a hotel bed, anxiously and eagerly looking at one another.The energy between them practically jumped off the screen.
Something was about to go down.But what that “something” was wasn’t exactly clear. Would Challengers lean into the queer tension of its central trio and deliver a true ménage à trois?
Or we we about to see another love triangle romance where two guys duke it out over the affections of the same woman?Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.Well, now that we’ve had a chance to see it, the answer is yes—to both questions—and the movie is all the more alluring because of it.With Challengers now playing in theaters everywhere, let’s break down just how gay it really is.*Fair warning that some spoilers for the plot of Challengers are discussed below, but don’t worry: We couldn’t possibly ruin all the fun of seeing it for yourself!*A post shared by Challengers Movie (@challengersmovie)Set in the world of professional tennis, the main thrust of Challengers‘ plot is a match between former friends Art Donaldson (West Side Story‘s Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (God’s Own Country‘s Josh O’Connor)—with Art’s wife Tashi Duncan (Euphoria‘s Zendaya) watching nervously from the sidelines.As its narrative bounces back-and-forth through time, we learn that Art and Patrick were doubles partners in their teens, before either of them went pro, and that Tashi drove a wedge between them.
At one point, Tashi dated Patrick, making Art incredibly jealous, but after an injury ruins her chances at tennis stardom, they break up and she turns to coaching.
