Challengers: A cultural studies commentary on the fire and ice of filmic desires

Abstract

Challengers is filled with depictions of desire and the power of perception. It continues Luca Guadagnino’s cinematic work, known for lushly lingering in the ‘what ifs’ of life and love. Challengers portrays the back and forth dynamic of intimacy and competition in the exclusive world of professional tennis. Throughout the film are references to heat and coldness, and forms of watching and being watched. Addressing that, I reflect on the fire and ice – temperature, temperamentality and tensions – of desire in Challengers, and in surrounding commentaries. Informed by Stuart Hall’s work on fantasy and the media, this reflection includes a close reading of the representation of Challengers protagonist, Tashi Duncan (played by Zendaya, who is also a producer on the film). Overall, I analyse ideas about desire in film, in audience responses and in cultural studies. Building on my research on the pop culture concept of ‘the Internet’s boyfriend’, I also consider what online discourse on Challengers suggests about societal imaginaries of desire.