Marty Supreme (2025)

Dir: Josh Safdie

Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher

Josh Safdie’s nerve-jangling comedy-drama hurls Timothee Chalamet’s detestable table tennis prodigy from one high-stakes disaster to another, as his relentless toxic ambition leaves chaos in his wake

For nearly twenty years, Josh and Benny Safdie have been serving up cinematic anxiety like few others, but it was their last two films, “Good Time” (2017) and “Uncut Gems” (2019), that truly catapulted them into the spotlight. The critical acclaim for both movies sent their reputations soaring, with audiences and critics alike marvelling at their signature rapid-fire editing and relentless portrayals of desperate ambition and greed. The Safdie brothers have a knack for coaxing out electrifying performances from unexpected stars, turning Robert Pattinson into a gritty small-time crook in “Good Time” and unleashing Adam Sandler‘s most riveting, dramatic work yet in “Uncut Gems”.

Though the brothers have recently charted their own creative paths, their bond with indie powerhouse A24 remains unbroken. This year, both Josh and Benny unveiled their first solo projects under the A24 banner. Benny’s rather underappreciated “The Smashing Machine”, a UFC biopic starring Dwayne Johnson, quietly flexed the Safdie talent for inspired casting. Yet, it is Josh who has stolen the spotlight, delivering a film that stands as one of the year’s most electrifying and pulse-pounding experiences.

“Marty Supreme” marks Josh Safdie’s first solo outing, yet with long-time collaborator Ronald Bronstein returning to co-write the script, this table tennis drama feels unmistakably Safdie. It becomes clear that Josh is the true architect of the brothers’ signature chaos, orchestrating a relentless barrage of nerve-shredding disasters for his characters. If you found their earlier films overwhelming, brace yourself: “Marty Supreme” might just be their most breathless, anxiety-fuelled ride yet. When news broke that Timothee Chalamet would star in a table tennis drama, I never imagined Safdie could crank up the intensity and kinetic energy even further, but Chalamet’s Marty ricochets from one white-knuckle crisis to the next, leaving the audience gasping for air across the film’s entire two-and-a-half-hour runtime.

Unsurprisingly set in Safdie’s hometown of New York City, where all of the siblings’ previous works have taken place, a young Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet) juggles life as a shoe store salesman for his uncle and a rising star on the table tennis circuit. Determined to put American table tennis on the map by winning the British Open, Marty hatches a reckless plan: he steals $700 from his uncle’s shop to fund his flight to London, disguising it as a robbery, setting in motion the first of many disastrous choices that will define his wild ride.

Marty’s tangled love life only adds fuel to the fire. He is entangled in an affair with his married childhood sweetheart, Rachel (Odessa A’zion), unaware she is carrying his child. On the road, he falls for and seduces faded Hollywood star Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), all while scheming to win over her wealthy husband, Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary), for sponsorship. As Marty scrambles to fund his shot at the World Championships in Japan, his high-stakes gambles pile up, leaving a trail of enemies that includes his uncle, his mother (Fran Drescher), the law, a local criminal (Abel Ferrara), and, inexplicably, the entire nation of Japan.

Marty’s tangled love life only adds fuel to the fire. He is entangled in an affair with his married childhood sweetheart, Rachel (Odessa A’zion), unaware she is carrying his child. On the road, he falls for and seduces faded Hollywood star Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), all while scheming to win over her wealthy husband, Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary), for sponsorship. As Marty scrambles to fund his shot at the World Championships in Japan, his high-stakes gambles pile up, leaving a trail of enemies that includes his uncle, his mother (Fran Drescher), the law, a local criminal, and, inexplicably, the entire nation of Japan.

After the trailer dropped several months ago, “Marty Supreme” quickly rose to the top of my must-see list for the festive season, thanks to my love for the Safdie brothers’ previous work. My anticipation only grew after the film’s secret New York Film Festival premiere drew raves, and it has since become a major awards contender. While the Best Picture race is fierce with the likes of “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” in the running, Timothee Chalamet seems poised to finally claim his first Oscar on his third attempt. Once again, Safdie and his casting team prove their uncanny eye for talent. Chalamet, though an obvious choice given his acclaim and status, takes on a role unlike any he’s played before. It is remarkable how the “Dune” star keeps pushing himself into bolder, more punishing roles, reinventing himself with a restless energy that channels the early days of Hollywood legends such as Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman. Making such a self-absorbed, even loathsome, character your lead risks alienating viewers, but Safdie and Bronstein’s razor-sharp script and Chalamet’s electric performance walk the tightrope perfectly. You may not sympathize with Marty’s self-inflicted chaos, but you cannot look away. It is a true testament to both filmmaker and star.

Safdie once again wields his rapid-fire editing to ping-pong viewers through a gauntlet of nerve-shredding set pieces, yet Marty’s relentless ambition and insatiable greed anchor the chaos, keeping the story cohesive despite its frantic pace and various storylines. Daniel Lopatin’s bold, 1980s-inspired electronic score matches the film’s breakneck energy, its pulsing beats, and inspired needle drops including Tears for Fears, Peter Gabriel, and Alphaville, clashing brilliantly with the film’s 1950s setting. The soundtrack not only underscores the film’s themes of greed in the urban jungle but also nods to the money-obsessed titans of Wall Street, both real and fictional, and pays tribute to the era’s most stressful dark comedies, like Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours” (1985) and Abel Ferrara’s “Bad Lieutenant” (1992)—the latter even playing a pivotal role in one of the film’s many plot threads.

The film’s eclectic casting shines, with Gwyneth Paltrow making a meta return to acting as a once-glamorous, now-forgotten Hollywood star—a role she plays with touching sensitivity, though her character’s abrupt exit is one of my few minor complaints. Odessa A’zion is equally compelling as Marty’s other love interest, steadfastly loyal despite his spiralling selfishness and disowning of their unborn child. The supporting cast is rounded out by non-actors in memorable turns, including Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” fame – the American version of “Dragon’s Den” – and rapper Tyler, the Creator as Marty’s taxi-driving confidant, Wally.

Technically, the film is a marvel—from its lush 35mm visuals and Lopatin’s pulsating score to the razor-sharp script and powerhouse performances. The relentless energy does lead to a finale that feels a bit rushed, but that hardly detracts from what is easily the most breathless, anxiety-inducing cinematic ride I have had all year. For some viewers, especially those sensitive to panic attacks, it may even prove too much.

The Verdict:

Timothee Chalamet electrifies as the insufferable yet magnetic Marty Mauser, a table tennis prodigy who gambles everything for glory and greed in Josh Safdie’s pulse-pounding, nerve-jangling comedy-drama that left me needing a breather way after the credits finished rolling.

Marty Supreme is now showing in UK Cinemas

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