Zendaya’s movie Challengers has been praised by critics, and the film’s incredibly high Rotten Tomatoes score extended a perfect streak for one of her co-stars. The 2024 tennis movie centers around Zendaya’s character, Tashi Duncan, who is a tennis prodigy turned coach for her husband, Art Donaldson, played by Mike Faist. Challengers‘ reviews emphatically praise the work that the lead actress does, as well as the contributions by Faist and co-star Josh O’Connor, not to mention the direction of Luca Guadagnino, music by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, and more.
The high remarks for Challengers were expected based on the collection of talent involved. Guadagnino has proven himself to be one of Hollywood’s most exciting storytellers in recent years, while Ross and Reznor are known for exceptional scores. There is even a possibility that Challengers will get Zendaya her first Oscar nomination. Awards consideration could also come for Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, depending on how the rest of the year pans out. Challengers‘ Rotten Tomatoes score is good for everyone associated with it, but it is particularly noteworthy for Faist.
The early reactions and reviews to Challengers signaled that the movie would ultimately have a strong rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. After opening to a score as high as 96% on the Tomatometer, Challengers‘ Rotten Tomatoes score has settled at 89%. The confirmed Fresh rating, as indicated by the film’s Certified Fresh designation, means that any pushback to the film’s brilliance won’t dip the score to Rotten levels. As a result, Mike Faist has managed to keep his perfect Rotten Tomatoes standing, as every movie or TV show he’s been in has a Fresh rating.
Challengers‘ Rotten Tomatoes score gives Mike Faist a perfect run with critics over the last nine years. The film’s 89% score is the fourth-highest of his career, although The Grief of Others and Pinball both have substantially fewer reviews on the aggregator site. This goes to show that Faist has a knack for picking good projects to be part of. Furthermore, he has proven himself to be a standout among the casts in Challengers, West Side Story, and others. That illustrates that Faist is not just having luck with being in well-reviewed projects. He’s a key part of their successes.
The good news for Mike Faist is that the success of Challengers will continue on with his next movie, The Bikeriders. Originally set for release in 2023, the film already made its debut at festivals ahead of its new June 21, 2024, theatrical release. Early reviews for The Bikeriders have already been published, and the film has an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes as a result. This confirms that Mike Faist’s incredible Rotten Tomatoes streak will continue further later this year, giving the actor an incredible one-two punch of acclaimed movies after Challengers.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes