It feels like the times could not be much more grim. The news from college campuses, I have to say, is utterly dispiriting. When we live in a world in which you cannot have a civilized, safe exchange of ideas, especially on university campuses, it’s deeply troubling.

You are going to be hearing a lot more from me on this topic.

Meanwhile, I’ll give a gentle plug to my Audible podcast, Pipeline to Power, which I launched in the fall, and is all about the struggle around the First Amendment on college campuses. Please take a listen.

As for something completely different – that I banged out last night because I was somewhat exercised, as you will see – here are my thoughts on Zendaya’s new movie, Challengers, which I wasted three whole hours Saturday watching. (I’m including the minutes spent on popcorn-buying and previews.)

I’m writing this so you don’t make the same mistake.

Which you could do, easily, if you read the reviews in the New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, and the FT. If you read these, you’d think Challengers is a ground-breaking, fun, erotic suspenseful sizzler about a love-triangle, sex, and tennis.

Who wouldn’t want to see that to decompress?

Plus it’s centered around Zendaya, a 27-year-old phenomenon, who can sing, act and model the heck out of couture. Whatever she wears, no matter how complicated, how many buckles, zips, and patterns, I’ve noticed that, unusually for a small, slender person, she always manages to wear it, and not vice versa.

Challengers is reportedly the vehicle she chose for herself to transition from a child star to a serious, grown-up one. The movie was supposed to come out last year, but suffered delays, which is why you’d have to have been living under a rock not to know it’s just been released. On Saturday afternoon the movie theater I was in was mostly full.

Spoiler alert: Don’t read on if you don’t want to know what happens.

Read on at Vicky Ward Investigates