Movie Review: ‘Marty Supreme’

Plot: Loosely based on real life ping pong king Marty Reisman, Marty Supreme tells the story of ping pong wizard Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet) as he aspires to be the greatest in the world. Undeterred by his controlling mother Rebecca (Fran Drescher) and his sometimes lover Rachel (Odessa A’zion), Marty will do whatever it takes to become a world champion. After a chance encounter with washed up movie star Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), Marty unexpectedly finds a potential ally and sponsor with her husband, ink magnate Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary). But will Marty’s bad decisions and grifter inclinations prevent him from realizing his dreams?

Review: Speaking from an American middle class perspective, I think a lot of us as children were sold on the idea of the American Dream. Essentially, that if you work hard, exhibit grit and discipline, and show courage you can attain whatever you desire no matter how big your ambitions. The tacit implication however is that you go about it the “right” way, i.e. you don’t cheat, steal, or manipulate to get what you want. Yet as I basked in the frenzied and fantastic cinematic spectacle that is director Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme for two and half hours, I couldn’t help but notice how the titular character emphatically rejected the glorified concept of the American Dream. Instead Marty embraces the philosophy of Oz from the television show The Penguin. Namely that “America is a hustle” and if you want your dream bad enough you do whatever it takes – moral or not – to see it through. That’s the heart and soul of Marty Supreme.

A riveting and frenetic feature film that hooked me from almost the first frame, Marty Supreme proves to be a wickedly funny and impeccably acted character study that subverts expectations while remaining wildly entertaining. With the breakneck pace of F1 and a whip smart script from Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, Marty Supreme does the unthinkable in this age of Marvel, perpetual sequels, and exploited IP – it dares to be different. If you’d told me in January that one of the best movies of the year was going to center around the world of 1950s table tennis, I’d have said you were insane.

Yet Marty Supreme is about ping pong much the same way Rocky is about boxing. There’s just so much more going on here. Safdie’s film examines the American Dream, the cost of ambition, responsibility, and that ultimately actions have consequences. Ping pong serves as just the vehicle for exploring these heady topics. In his first solo foray without brother Benny, Josh Safdie crafts something truly special with Marty Supreme. As both screenwriter and director, Josh Safdie makes it impossible for you to turn away from the screen. Whether it’s a climatic exhibition match between Marty and his rival Endo (Koto Kawaguchi) or a harrowing sequence involving a mobster, a dog, and a farmhouse, Safdie manages to find the meaning in the profound and the profane. The dialogue cracks with Sorkin-esque bite and contains a few lines that had me choke/laugh due to their inappropriate nature. Throughout it all, Safdie retains a steady hand at the helm, with the frenetic and sometimes insane scenes never veering into the realm of the ridiculous. It’s a tight line to walk but somehow Safdie and company manage it. Safdie also cascades Marty Supreme to an incredible third act that absolutely sticks the landing.

From a technical standpoint Marty Supreme is damn near flawless. Titan cinematographer and Academy Award nominee Darius Khondji delivers yet another awards worthy effort. Stylistically Safdie’s film is a tough needle to thread as a DP, but Khondji makes it look effortless. It’s not easy to capture horror-esque scenes like the one where Marty and hustler Wally run afoul of their marks with the same grace as steamy love scenes or an intense ping pong match, but Khondji does it with aplomb. Khondji’s work pairs beautifully with Daniel Lopatin’s propulsive and pulse pounding synthpop score. If sweat was set to music it would be this movie. Lopatin’s work dovetails nicely with the bangers 80s hits that permeate Marty Supreme, everything from New Order, to Peter Gabriel, to Tears for Fears. Think Tangerine Dreams‘ work in Risky Business and you’ll be somewhere in the ballpark. You’d think a movie set in the 1950s scored with 1980s hits would come off anachronistic but it absolutely works. Marty Supreme also has the distinct bonus of being one of the better New York City films I’ve seen in a long time. Big credit has to go to legendary production designer Jack Fisk and costume designer Miyako Bellizi who make bustling 1950s New York City come alive. My one complaint would be that the sound design in Safdie’s film is a little too aggressive, with dialogue occasionally lost due to its harshness.

When it comes to the supporting cast, Marty Supreme proves to be a who’s who of entertainers. This is the best performance by Gwyneth Paltrow in ages. She fully embodies Kay Stone, a wealthy socialite and retired actress whose best years are behind her. Kay can’t help but fall for Marty’s wiles. Her desperation and desire for something real and authentic, to have value and agency and not just be her husband’s trophy wife, really shine through. Kevin O’Leary (best known as Shark Tank‘s Mr. Wonderful) also impressed me with his performance as a self-righteous and spiteful rich businessman. His interactions with Marty are incredible, particularly one late in the film where he debases Marty in such a public and shameful manner that I wanted to reach through the screen and punch him in his smug face. Yes I get he’s essentially playing himself, however it doesn’t make the performance any less impressive. Up and comer Odessa A’zion (I Love LA, Hellraiser) wows as Marty’s lover Rachel who turns out to be a grifter in her own right. Marty and Rachel’s relationship is incredibly toxic yet bizarrely they are kindred spirits because they are both willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. Alternative hip hop artist Tyler the Creator makes for a dynamic best friend for Marty. A taxi driver and family man who assists Marty in his ping pong hustles, he’s definitely the more moral of the pair and knows exactly the kind of person Marty is.

As phenomenal as the supporting cast is, audiences are here to see Timothee Chalamet cook. With Marty Supreme, Timmy isn’t cooking with gas he’s cooking with napalm. A vibrant, layered, charismatic, hilarious, and heartbreaking portrait of a huckster and hustler trying to make it big, this is the best performance of Chalamet’s young career. Rail thin and sporting a unibrow, bad skin, and wire rim glasses, Marty Mauser doesn’t scream “the chosen one,” yet his supreme confidence can’t help but charm people into his orbit. I want to be very clear: Marty is not a good guy. In fact he’s an amoral scumbag who says and does what he wants and manipulates everyone around him for the majority of this film. He’s the protagonist but he’s not a hero. Yet somehow Chalamet endears you to him. Every setback Marty goes through you feel like you’re vicariously going through it with him. When he finally gets his big shot, I was so emotionally invested my heart was doing cartwheels. The last fifteen minutes of this film are some of the most emotionally cathartic of 2025 and that’s all due to Chalamet’s work here. With Marty Supreme, Chalamet establishes himself as one of the best actors working today and hopefully we’ve got decades of his films to look forward to.

Without question Marty Supreme serves up one of the most surprising, satisfying, and entertaining movie experiences I’ve had the privilege to enjoy in 2025. Treat yourself to a post-Christmas present and hustle into theaters to see this hustler.

My rating system:

1 God Awful Blind Yourself With Acid Bad

2 Straight Garbage

3 Bad

4 Sub Par

5 Average

6 Ok

7 Good

8 Great

9 Excellent

10 A Must See

Masterpiece

Marty Supreme: 10/10