Challengers—Blurring the Lines of Platonic and Romantic Love
What happens to an inseparable bond when love for competing morphs into competing for love?

In July, 2002, Johnny Johnson was arrested and charged with the abduction and murder of 6-year-old Cassandra WilliIn July, 2002, Johnny Johnson was arrested and charged with the abduction and murder of 6-year-old Cassandra Williamson in Valley Park, Missouri. The effects of the crime continue to reverberate in the community. During the capital murder trial, a proceeding clouded by questions of mental illness and competency, a juror described the killing as "the worst possible crime." This film seeks to answer the question: Does the worst possible crime deserve the worst possible punishment?
What happens to an inseparable bond when love for competing morphs into competing for love?
It’s not often in America that you turn on the TV and see a show or a movie with a Muslim protagonist. And when they do, they're usually a negative stereotype. Ms. Marvel changes all of that.
In Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It (1986), we follow the love life of powerful female protagonist Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) and explore the relationship dynamics she has with her partners. She sees three men simultaneously: Greer Childs, (John Canada Terrell) Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee), and Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks). Though an 80’s film, She’s Gotta Have It is surprisingly progressive with its themes of female sexuality, although at some points in the film it is handled clumsily. Overall Nola is an incredibly compelling character especially for modern women, as we as a society acknowledge female sensuality more and more without the negative stigma.
This thrilling film about feminine rage and male hostility is an incredible depiction of the fragility of the male ego.
True crime media is notoriously obsessed with the “missing white woman” trope, and yet the vast majority of American murder victims are male, and well over half are people of color.
In order to learn why an arguably outdated fanfic trope was resurfacing in the contact zone of popular culture, I dove into a vibrant trough of character development.