One of the principal reasons why I am a lifelong fan of cinema can be summed up in a single word: immersion. Images rapidly flash and take us into lives far-flung from our own, and in the span of two hours, they can inspire deep emotion and passion – and that takes many different forms. As the stakes for the characters grow, we bond with them through determination, joy, heartbreak, fear, love, and anxiety.
Marty Supreme
Release Date: December 25, 2025
Directed By: Josh Safdie
Written By: Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Koto Kawaguchi, and Fran Drescher
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content, some violent content/bloody images and nudity
Runtime: 150 minutes
That last one is very much a specialty for filmmaker Josh Safdie, who, until recently, has teamed with his brother Benny Safdie on movies most recently including Good Time and Uncut Gems. His “heroes” aren’t the sort who seek calm, manageable lives and instead test the barrier between grasp and reach. In 2019, heart attacks were induced watching Adam Sandler’s gambling-addicted Howard Ratner stack bets on top of bets and stay one step ahead of lone sharks and thugs in hopes of hitting a massive score. In 2025, Safdie is back with more cardiac arrest-inducing cinema, but this time, it’s a protagonist seeking to be recognized as the greatest table tennis champion on Earth.
Having just written that, I think it’s fair to say that the intensity and stress at the heart of the plot of Marty Supreme don’t immediately make themselves apparent on paper… but that brings me back to the movie magic of immersion. You as an individual reading this review may not care about becoming the premiere ping pong player on the planet, but Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Mauser most certainly fucking does, and his drive and confidence leak through the screen to create one of the most spectacular, engrossing, and wild cinematic experiences of the year.
In early in 1950s New York, we first Marty as he prepares to make his first trip overseas for a tournament, having scrapped and saved to make the journey, but he is confident that every effort will be worth it: he not only expects to become the first American champion in the sport, but he knows that his victory will mean making him and the game a new sensation in his home country. His showmanship and sharp-tongue help get the red carpet rolled out for him, but everything falls apart when he learns that the Japanese travel ban has been lifted and he’s introduced to Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), a competitor with a unique grip and a new kind of paddle that befuddles opponents.
Returning home means putting his tail between his legs, but Marty is far from defeated, as he makes plans for redemption and fulfilling his championship aspirations. This means once again pulling off a bit of fundraising with a string of efforts including a bit of ping pong hustling with a pal (Tyler Okonma), having an affair with an aging actress (Gwyneth Paltrow) married to a wealthy pen magnate (Kevin O’Leary), and trying to cash in on the reward for a lost dog belonging to a dangerous gangster (Abel Ferrara). At the same time, he has to evade his hypochondriac mother (Fran Drescher) and a vengeful uncle (Larry “Ratso” Sloman), plus figure out what to do when he discovers that his married childhood friend (Odessa A’zion) is pregnant with his child.
Marty Supreme is a stunning, thrilling execution of organized chaos.
Once again taking the “on paper” perspective, that sounds like an insane amount of material for a single film, even one with a 150 minute runtime, but the structure of the storytelling and the balance of all the conflicts in Marty Supreme makes it a marvel (and consequently sees that sizable runtime absolutely fly by). The script by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein is a dazzling juggling act, constantly throwing new balls, bowling pins, puppies and revving chainsaws up in the air while never neglecting a single one before finally catching them all with flourish.
Every aspect of the adventure is made all the more colorful by the brilliant ensemble cast playing diverse and rich characters who fall into Marty’s orbit. On a more macro level, for example, the stark contrast between Odessa A’zion’s Rachel Mizler and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Kay Stone as his lovers means they demand different relationships with the protagonist, which exposes a mix of fascinating and ugly sides of him. But even the minor players – from a friend who is trying to help Marty launch a line of orange ping pong balls (Luke Manley) to a trigger-happy farmer (Penn Jillette) – make an impression.
These personalities inhabit an old world that Josh Safdie and his collaborators seamlessly recreate with immense love, honoring both the great glitz and grime of mid-20th century New York, from the tight spaces of tenements, to slum hotels, to opulent midtown apartments. Production designer Jack Fisk’s transportive work is stunningly captured by cinematographer Darius Khondji (with a gorgeous grit that only film can provide), whose thrilling camera work not only successfully amps up the eponymous character’s hustle but makes the table tennis fist pump-worthy exciting.
Even with a high bar set, this is Timothée Chalamet’s greatest work to date.
Marty Supreme also notably sees its star at the height of his powers, which is a pretty damn special thing given that he has only just turned 30 and has set an immense bar to clear. Timothée Chalamet has been a star on the rise since his breakout year in 2017 with both Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird and Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, and he seems to only be getting better with more experience.
What’s so fascinating here is that Marty is a character you really want to hate. He exhibits cockiness, selfishness and entitlement at every opportunity to do so, and while he has his soft spots, he is willing to run over anybody to achieve his goals. What’s also undeniable, however, is the charisma inherent in his drive and persistence, and his confidence also imbues him with a special kind of integrity that won’t let him sell himself short. Not every actor could walk the fine line that is necessary for the part, but it speaks to Chalamet’s immense gift as a performer.
This isn’t a movie that you just see: you feel it. It’s 150 minutes of cheering, laughing, and gasping all while it feels like your heart may just beat its way out of your chest. Marty Supreme is a magical movie and a must-see.
