AMC Theatres is showing love for several fan favorite movies, some of which are also highlighted to celebrate Black History Month. One of my favorites in the line-up is Challengers where Zendaya plays a former tennis prodigy-turned-coach who fuels the competitiveness of two tennis players. As Challengers was completely snubbed at the Oscars and is getting the re-release treatment this month, I need to talk about Zendaya’s performance that was truly worthy of an Oscar nomination.
Zendaya Portrays Her Character’s Complexity So Well
Throughout Challengers, Zendaya’s Tashi doesn’t give us a clear motive for her role as a catalyst in the movie’s love triangle. All we can interpret is that Tashi sees the world as a big tennis match where she must be the winning player in every scenario. We see the layers she presents in her flirtatiousness not necessarily being a sign of affection. Tashi’s genuine interest in unraveling Art and Patrick’s awkward past works in her favor as a strategy to mold these tennis pals into fierce competitors to play a game Tashi created.
While Tashi can be seen as manipulative and cunning as she turns Patrick and Art against one another, we also view the vulnerability that Zendaya portrays so well. For instance, when Patrick approaches Tashi to coach him instead of her husband, Art, her raised voice and fast speech signify fear and nervousness. After all, he’s changing the game that Tashi’s been orchestrating to get Art to win against Patrick. Zendaya perfectly shows her character’s insecurity when she’s not the one in control.
Her Physical Commitment to Tashi Can’t Go Ignored
As Zendaya portrayed a tennis prodigy, the Spider-Man actress was fully committed to making sure she moved like one. As much as the dedicated star admitted she hated working out for Challengers, she showed Tashi has no mercy on the court with each swing and footwork her character exhibits. She pours all of the love and energy that’s inside of her directly into her playing. According to Elle, Zendaya actually spent three months working on the realism of her swinging and footwork. And yet, she wasn’t even hitting a real tennis ball the whole time! Now, that’s Oscarworthy talent.
Not only did Zendaya flawlessly show that Tashi’s a kickass tennis player, but we see a true physical contrast in Tashi from the flashback scenes to the present. In the flashbacks when Art and Patrick first meet Tashi, she’s dancing rhythmically and is expressive with her sexuality. As she gets older and has gone through the wringer of a career-ending injury and coaching her husband, we see her movements are more stiff and tired like her life’s struggles are weighing her down.
Zendaya’s Range Is Felt With Her First Leading Role As An Adult
In the Spider-Man films playing M.J. and in Euphoria as Rue, Zendaya made a name for herself playing complex teenagers. Compared to being a standout amid an ensemble cast, the Dune actress holds her own not only as a lead but through her first genuine adult role. Zendaya even got to play a mom for the first time, and she credits her family for influencing her maternal performance.
We see the transition of Tashi starting as an 18-year-old to being in her mid-30s which is older than the actress herself. Through Zendaya, Tashi’s inner struggles, desires, and quest for control are brought out. The female lead is not a one-dimensional woman. She’s layered with ambition, vulnerability, and edge that makes her unpredictable both on and off the court.
Zendaya Spoke Volumes When Words Weren’t Needed
One of the best qualities an actress can have is to be able to speak with their eyes. Zendaya does just that as Tashi. We notice her attentive eyes in the flashback scenes as she learns about Art and Patrick’s friendship, as well as the calculating look she has when she lures Art and Patrick towards a kiss. But then, we also can’t ignore the pain Tashi expresses after her career-ending injury when she’s sitting by a tree and looks like she wants to cry but forces herself to toughen up and accept her circumstances.
But, the best scene where Zendaya is the most expressive is towards the end of Challengers. Her expression is still and calm because she predicts her husband will win the game after previously telling Patrick to let him win. But then when Tashi realizes that no one is letting anyone win, Zendaya allows her character to become more alive with a look of deep hesitation on her face. Then, her head moves swiftly back and forth as she watches like she’s instinctively sensing danger. Zendaya perfectly delivered the final “Come on!” that further highlighted her character’s complexity, as the strategist lost control but still got to see an invigorating game.
It’s a real bummer that Zendaya didn’t get an Oscar nomination for her Challengers performance. But, now that the romantic sports drama is part of AMC’s Black History Month line-up, re-releasing on February 14th, you can see what I see in Zendaya’s Oscar-worthy performance where she brings her complex character to life through emotional shifts, body language, and subtle expressions. Challengers is also available to watch on your Amazon Prime subscription.