Could “Challengers,” which moved from an awards season slot last year due to the strikes to a less prestigious March release date this year, actually be a contender after all? The psychosexual tennis drama generated a lot of buzz and a fairly impressive box office performance, and it wouldn’t be crazy to wonder if nominations for Zendaya (Best Actress), Josh O’Connor (Best Supporting Actor), and Justin Kuritzkes (Best Original Screenplay) are possible. OK, they’re admittedly pretty unlikely, but we do predict that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross should be nominated for their pounding electronic score. The film is now available to stream on Prime Video.
“Challengers,” which hails from director Luca Guadagnino, is about a bizarre love triangle between Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis phenom whose career was derailed by an injury, her husband Art (Mike Faist), who became a superstar under her tutelage but is exhausted by his life, and Patrick (O’Connor), Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s ex who never reached his potential. You’ll never look at a tennis racket the same way.
Here are some other movies to stream this weekend:
“I Saw the TV Glow”: Rising indie filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun’s psychological horror drama is now on Max. The A24 film is a trans allegory about two isolated young people who are fans of a mysterious television show that holds the key to understanding their true identities. Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine star, along with Danielle Deadwyler, Fred Durst, and Conner O’Malley.
“His Three Daughters”: Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon, and Elizabeth Olsen are the titular daughters in this intimate drama. The sisters, who are all very different from each other and inclined to conflict, reunite to care for their father (Jay O. Sanders) as he enters hospice. Old wounds are opened, but there’s a chance they could heal for good. The film is not as sad as its description may lead you to believe, as it’s loaded with warmth and humor. It was a hit at TIFF in 2023 and is now on Netflix.
“Handling the Undead”: Renate Reinsve (Cannes Best Actress winner for “The Worst Person in the World”) stars in this gloomy Norwegian horror mystery where deceased people from an Oslo neighborhood suddenly return from the dead and no one knows how or why. It’s based on a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also contributed to the screenplay), author of “Let the Right One In” and “Border,” which were turned into two of the most unique horror movies of the past 15 or so years. Arthouse horror staple Neon is the distributor behind this one, which is now on Hulu.
