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There is something to be said about releasing a potential awards contender too early in the year.Most will tell you that awards season voters tend to forget movies that don’t emerge around September through the new year, although there have been some exceptions (Crashwas released in May 2005 and won Best Picture the following year, although it did debut in 2004 at the Toronto Film Festival). There was some hope thatChallengerscould be the exception during this awards season.
The movie was released in April of last year to some of the best reviews of 2024, and many critics believed it would be in the conversation for several major awards,but that early in the year release date, increased competition and the Academy wanting to acknowledge more prestige films likely leftChallengersin a position wishing it could’ve held onto its original premiere date.
‘Challengers’ Was Affected by the Strikes
Challengers
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Challengerswas originally intended to be released in August 2023, but that was shifted to a month later with the intention of the movie being the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival. It was clear with that rollout that Amazon MGM Studiosknew that the Luca Guadagninosports drama (it’s not a comedy, no matter what the Golden Globes had to say about that) had the potential to be an awards contender.
Unfortunately,the film was delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikeand was pulled from the festival, resulting in its new April release date the following year. It was a move that proved to be a good thing from a promotional standpoint because it was released within weeks ofDune: Part Two, another film that featured the movie’s star Zendaya, who was able to have a box-office one-two-punch with both movies.Challengersproved to be financially successful, grossing $96 million worldwide on a $55 million budget, a rarity during a time when mid-budget dramas don’t see a full theatrical release.
Reviews were also solid, with the movie registering an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics declaring early on it would be one of the best films of the year.Challengersshould’ve easily made an impression in several major categories come Oscar nomination day, buton Oscar morning, fans of the film were left severely disappointed.
‘Challengers’ Woke up to Zero Academy Award Nominations
Sadly,Challengersreceived ZERO Academy Award nominationsand even missed out in categories that it was said to have a shot at, particularly for Best Original Score (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), Best Editing (Marco Costa), and Best Original Screenplay (Justin Kuritzkes). What makes theChallengersomission even more egregious in the Best Picture category (where it should’ve made an appearance) is that the Academy nominated 10 movies this year, and it’s beyond comprehension thatChallengerswasn’t a part of that list.
Anora,Wicked,Conclave,Emilia Pérez, Dune: Part Two,The Brutalist,The Substance,A Complete Unknown,I’m Still Here,andNickel Boysmade the cut. Some of those films certainly deserve to be included, but we’ll leave it up to you to decide which films could easily be swapped out to includeChallengers.
Do Yourself a Favor and Stream Challengers on Prime Video
Featuring Hollywood It Girl Zendaya, the lively and sizzling romantic sports drama Challengers has unsurprisingly taken audiences by storm.
Challengersfires on all cylinders with its story, which depicts a love triangle between aninjured tennis star (Zendaya)who is now the coach of her tennis champion husband (Mike Faist) who has to face-off against her low-circuit tennis player ex-boyfriend (Josh O’Connor) at the ATP Challenger Tour. It all sounds messy and a bit adolescent on paper, and its trailers, while certainly sexy and getting the job done of selling the film to the audience, didn’t completely do the movie justice.
Challengersis expertly written, and itsdepiction of the love triangle, which spans 13 years of their relationship, is effectively smart and adult in its portrayal of their complicated union. Some of the psychological reasons behind their decisions aren’t totally spelled out for the audience, but they’re expertly conveyed by the three leads, with Zendaya leading the charge with a commanding performance that should’ve earned her a Best Actress nomination. It was easy to see that her field was becoming more crowded and competitive as the year went along, so her missing in her field wasn’t a total surprise, but it would’ve been nice to see. If anything, it’s proof that her time for an Academy Award will come sooner rather than later.
The film is also structured in a way that makes the audience not keep their eyes off of it, and that’s a credit to Guadagnino’s direction, Sayombhu Mukeeprom’s cinematography, and Costa’s editing. All of these names could’ve easily heard their names on Oscar nomination morning, but they represent another snub. The synchronicity in which this trio constructs some of the tennis sequences, which culminate with the film’s exhilarating climax, is a masterclass of how these facets of films need to work together to make art pop off the screen.
‘Challengers’ Technical Achievements Were Worthy of Oscar Nominations Alone
No matter what the Academy thinks,Costa’s editing is some of the best and most exciting of the year, while Guadgagnino should’ve been a bigger presence for his direction. Maybe he split the vote with his other work this year onQueer(another example of his versatility as a filmmaker), but it’s a shame that he had two efforts eligible that the Academy chose to ignore. As forthe editing snub, give the film another look with a fresh eye at how some of its best scenes are cut, and try not to come out of them being wowed.
Challengers Review: Sex, Sports & Thumping Dance Music
Josh O’Connor gets the role of his career alongside the reliably terrific Zendaya and Mike Faist for Guadagnino’s erotic tennis ride.
Despite these misses, there was still hope that, as awards season moved along andChallengersbecame an afterthought, its unique score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross would get some acknowledgment. With its EDM/Techno music leanings, it was one of the most exciting pieces of music in film because it was so different. It showed up in several precursors heading to the Oscar nominations, even winning Best Original Score at the Golden Globes, but it’s obvious the music was just too different for Academy voters not willing to take a chance on something a little less traditional. The intensity it brings to its scenes is undeniable as it adds drama and urgency to several moments in the film.
As a fan of the film, maybe it’s not the right thing to focus on its lack of nominations. It was well-received by critics and audiences and proved financially successful while also showing up along the way at some of the awards season precursors. That being said, the feeling that it would be ignored by the Academy became more palpable as the Oscar nominations grew closer, and it’s a shame becauseit’s the kind of film that should’ve been represented. It was not only fun and commercial, but it had layers, intelligence, and technical savvy that made it much more than it appeared. Perhaps the Academy simply didn’t see it.Challengersis streaming onPrime VideoandMGM+.
