Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like Challengers:
Babygirl
25 years after co-starring in Eyes Wide Shut, Nicole Kidman revisits similar thematic territory in Halina Reijn’s Babygirl, another holiday-set exploration of lust, power, and dissatisfaction. In Babygirl, she plays Romy, a high-powered tech CEO whose meticulously crafted life seems perfect on the surface. With a doting husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas), two well-adjusted children, and a dreamlike home, Romy appears to have it all. Yet, beneath this pristine façade, she is deeply unfulfilled, yearning for something—or someone—to awaken her buried fantasies.
Read our full review of Babygirl
Fair Play
Fair Play is a commendable directorial debut from Chloe Domont, a film that sizzles with tension and passion right from its Sundance origins early in 2023. With stellar performances, especially from Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich, the movie navigates the intricacies of love and power with finesse.
Read our full review of Fair Play
The Social Network
The Social Network might not be a “perfect” movie in a traditional sense, but it’s as close as any film has come in the 21st century. Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, this 2010 masterpiece remains endlessly rewatchable, endlessly quotable, and deeply resonant in ways that continue to evolve with time. I’ve seen it more than any other movie—memorized its rhythm, its cutting dialogue, its thumping Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score that pulses through every moment. It’s a film that never loses its edge, no matter how many times you revisit it.
Read our full review of The Social Network
Uncut Gems
Uncut Gems compounds tension about as well as any movie made in the 2010s. Josh and Benny Safdie announce themselves as filmmakers to keep an eye on moving forward with this grisly thriller set in the world of high stakes sports gambling. Adam Sandler and Kevin Garnett co-star, along with a supporting cast for the ages.
Read our full review of Uncut Gems
The Favourite
The Favourite sees director Yorgos Lanthimos recontextualizing 18th-century British royalty. A searing dark comedy featuring many of 2018s’s best performances, including Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz.
Read our full review of The Favourite
Bones and All
Although it may seem like an idea and concept that would never work, Luca Guadagnino pulls off another incredibly unique movie with Bones and All as Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet feed on the flesh of others and try to survive on the fringes of society.
Read our full review of Bones and All
Don’t Worry Darling
While it’s easy to point fingers and blame the film’s issues on just a few individuals, Don’t Worry Darling, at its core, is flawed. A meandering story can’t be saved by Florence Pugh and Harry Styles.
Read our full review of Don’t Worry Darling
Licorice Pizza
Licorice Pizza is a love letter to Paul Thomas Anderson’s childhood experience. The movie is overflowing with teenage emotional drama. One of 2021’s best films. Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman both give extraordinary first leading performances.
Read our full review of Licorice Pizza
Twisters
Twisters is a remarkable victory for theaters, summer blockbusters, and movie stars. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell are certified mainstays in the industry after their recent successes, and Lee Isaac Chung remains one of the latest risers in a young camp of talented filmmakers.
Read our full review of Twisters
Queer
Luca Guadagnino‘s Queer marks a rare misstep for the director, whose previous works often blend emotional nuance with bold stylistic choices. Here, his signature flair feels disjointed, leaving the movie struggling to find its footing between fragmented chapters and mismatched performances. While Queer does boast a few clever moments and ambitious ideas, it ultimately falters in its execution, making it one of Guadagnino’s least cohesive films.