Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: MGM Pictures, Janus Films, 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection, Greg Endries/HBO If my Twitter feed is any indication of the world at large, the whole planet is chomping at the bit to see Luca Guadagnino’s Zendaya-starring sexy tennis movie. That’s probably not the case, but Challengers has been getting great buzz anyway. Why wouldn’t it? Most mainstream movies lately have felt so much more sterile than hot — pretty people passionately making out is exactly what we need this season! Speaking of which: There’s also that Sydney Sweeney–Glen Powell rom-com hit ..read more

Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Everett, SIMONA PAMPAOLLONA Midway through Challengers, a movie about how not having a threesome could ruin your entire life, it dawned on me: This was at least the third movie I’d seen in the last several years in which Josh O’Connor is absolutely filthy. As sleazy tennis bro Patrick Zweig, O’Connor spends most of the movie in his sweaty tennis outfits, sleeping in his car and barely showering; at one point, as he tries to check into a motel for the night, a gay couple behind him remark on his stench. In Alice Rohrwacher’s magical-realist romantic dramedy ..read more

Photo: Unique Nicole/FilmMagic In the asylum where they raised Normani stans, doctors are still asking, “Is the Normani album in the room with us now?” New music from their fave was but a figment of their imagination, a symptom of being the unwitting star in a play called “Waiting for an Album for Half a Decade.” Not anymore. The procrastinating performer released a new song, “1:59,” on April 26, after a two-year drought that drove fans up a wall. The minimal R&B track has an assist from Gunna, some sexy vocal stacking, and an addictive, come-hither guitar melody. The lyrics reflect the pr ..read more

Photo: MGM Pictures The official line on Challengers is that the movie, despite hinting at the possibility in its marketing, does not actually contain a scene in which Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have a threesome with Zendaya. I am here to tell you that that is too literal of a ruling. The wildly sexy Challengers may not feature any onscreen sex, but it does conclude with a tennis match that plays like a consummation of the hookup the three characters come close to having when they first meet. Whether on the court or in bed, Art Donaldson (Faist), Patrick Zweig (O’Connor), and Tashi Duncan (Z ..read more

Photo: MGM Pictures Challengers is so darn hot, you guys. Director Luca Guadagnino is smart enough to know that if you mash three of the most attractive people in the world together with a script about athletic prowess and competitive drive and explore the psychosexual power dynamics between their characters, you’ll wind up with the horniest movie of the year. When Challengers ends, the only real question is how quickly did tennis freaks Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) find the nearest hotel room in New Rochelle to finally have the three-wa ..read more

Photo: Disney In 2013, Richie Sambora gave Bon Jovi fans a shot through the heart when he prioritized himself and abruptly quit the band in the middle of an international tour. The lore of why, and how, the lead guitarist departed simmered over the ensuing decade, even if Sambora himself talked about it a few times in the interim: The simple public-relations answer was that he entered rehab again for an alcohol addiction at the urging of his teenage daughter, a decision he considered to be a no-brainer as a single father after years of sacrificing family time for life on the road. In Thank You ..read more

23-Across, Nine Letters: “Challengers” plot point heavily teased in the trailers ..read more

Photo: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images Ticket resellers, you can say it’s just the way you are — make a new excuse, another stupid reason … but if you’re trying to get artists on your side? Good luck, babe. Chappell Roan already mentioned her ex onstage at Coachella, but she’s not done with the public callouts just yet. She is one of nearly 300 artists — including Billie Eilish, Green Day, Lorde, Diplo, Nile Rodgers and more — who recently signed a letter urging lawmakers to reform the concert ticketing system. “We are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predat ..read more

Photo: Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Vital Voices Global Partnership Ashley Judd is among multiple Harvey Weinstein accusers who are expressing disappointment with the overturning of the movie mogul’s 2020 rape conviction. Judd, who was the first actress to publicly come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein, shared her reaction to the news during a press conference. “This is what it’s like to be a woman in America, living with male entitlement to our bodies,” Judd said, per Entertainment Weekly. “This, today, is an act of institutional betrayal,” she added, “and our inst ..read more

Photo: Michael Parmelee/CBS It’s almost as if New York City’s would-be murderers have gotten wind that a slightly odd, very tenacious, unexpectedly incisive redhead is running around town in a series of great overcoats and colorful tote bags, foiling every attempt to get away with their dirty deeds. They’ve had to get craftier, and I’d love to see how much better the NYPD’s homicide clearance rate is now that Elsbeth Tascioni is in town. She puts Captain Wagner in a real bind, too: he knows now that she’s there to investigate him, and he wants to stay a few steps ahead ..read more