Directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme follows Marty Mauser, a table tennis hustler from NYC loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman.
Timothée Chalamet is the greatest actor of our generation. Periodttt.
After watching the absolute passionate chaos Lil Timmy Tim put into promoting this movie (especially the Zoom call about the orange colour), I had been WAITING to see it in cinemas.
And as a long-time fan, let’s be honest, I was going to watch it no matter what. I didn’t even know what Marty Supreme was about. I went in completely blank. No expectations. No idea who Marty Mauser even was.
But from the first scene, I knew I was about to experience something insane.
That wasn’t Timothée Chalamet on screen. That was Marty Mauser. The transformation? Crazy. The passion, the ambition, the talent, the way he gives everything his all, it feels like a shared trait between Marty and Timothée himself.
You can literally see the work and preparation he put into this role. The physicality, the confidence, the almost manic energy. Marty Supreme is perfect to me. I genuinely have no notes.
And let’s be clear: this movie is NOT about table tennis. Yes, ping pong is the vehicle, but it’s not the core. It’s about obsession. It’s about dreaming big to the point of self-destruction.
Marty is not supposed to be likeable. In fact, he’s kind of a complete narcissist. A chaotic, self-obsessed, do-anything-to-win type of person, but in the end, everything he strives for is ultimately nothing. He’s not going to the championship. He’s not making life-changing money. The “big win” is technically meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
And yet, he needs to win. Not for money. Not for fame. But because in his mind, it’s his destiny. He has convinced himself he is obligated to become the best. It’s an obsession, it’s a pursuit of greatness.
And then that final scene, when he wins (sorta), comes home, and stares at his newborn child? That breakdown? That’s when he finally comes face-to-face with something bigger than himself. Responsibility. Reality.
Technically, the movie is incredible. The cinematography is sharp, the production design is stunning, and the pacing mirrors Marty’s chaotic life perfectly, fast, unpredictable, and slightly unhinged.
The screenplay packs so much in without ever feeling overcrowded. It makes you laugh, it shocks you, and somehow it makes you root for this cocky disaster of a human being.
Also, the metaphor is kind of perfect; just like in table tennis, Marty keeps getting hit with ball after ball in life, and he just keeps swinging back. Sometimes he wins the rally. Sometimes he doesn’t. But he never stops playing.
This movie is chaotic, funny, uncomfortable, and visually stunning. It’s ambition on steroids. A24 really did their thing with this one.
And once again, Timothée Chalamet proves he’s not just a movie star, he’s soon to be one of the greats!
