Writer’s note: The second paragraph of this article (just below the first image) contains a basic outline of the film’s premise. There are no spoilers that weren’t already inferred in the film’s own trailer. However, if you want to completely avoid potential spoilers, skip over the second paragraph.
Many of the most compelling film protagonists are driven by obsession. Among the characters which come to mind are Fast Eddie from The Hustler (1961), Vincent from The Color of Money (1986) or Sonny from Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Their obsessive motivations mean they aren’t always the most honest or kind hearted ‘heroes’. They may lie, cheat, steal or cause harm in order to achieve their goals. However, a compelling protagonist doesn’t need to be a good person, or even likeable, all of the time. A strong protagonist just needs to be highly motivated, which will make the audience fully committed to the story. Director Josh Safdie (along with his brother Benny Safdie) specialise in telling stories of obsessive anti-heroes, delivering one for the ages with the critically acclaimed Uncut Gems (2019). The brothers have now parted ways, with Josh directing the sports comedy-drama, Marty Supreme (2025).
Set in New York City circa 1952, we are introduced to Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a young shoe salesman who plays professional table tennis on the side. With dreams of winning the British Open and bringing American attention to the sport, Marty steals cash from the shoe store at gunpoint in order to fund his trip to London. At the tournament, Marty’s inflated ego irks many of the players and promoters, but his natural talent for table tennis keeps him from being outright ignored. He attracts the attention of the famous retired actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her wealthy industrialist husband, Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary). Marty begins a sexual relationship with Kay, unbeknownst to Marty’s childhood friend Rachel (Odessa A’Zion), whom with he’s already having an affair, and is likely the father of her unborn child. After coming second place in the British Open to Japanese player Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), Marty is determined to save up and travel to Tokyo for the World Championship, proving once and for all that he is the greatest player. Unfortunately, his journey to Japan won’t be easy, as he returns to the States a criminal after the shoe store robbery. To acquire money for his Japan trip, Marty falls into a series of dangerous misadventures involving everything from police, to dogs, to gangsters.
Most sports movies follow this fairly recognisable template: the main team and/or athlete dreams of winning the big game. They are the underdog with no hope of doing so, yet with lots of training, some personal growth, and the aid of an inspirational speech or two, they achieve the impossible and win the gold. The crowd applauds, there’s plenty of tears, and everyone lives happily ever after. However, Marty Supreme is no ordinary sports movie. At first we appear to be following the tropes of the genre, but as soon as we enter act two, we shift gears into a shocking, gritty and unnervingly stressful chase thriller. There’s no film in recent memory which fills the viewer with as much anxiety as Marty Supreme. In fact, the only film remotely comparable in terms of stress levels is Josh and Benny Safdie’s own Uncut Gems, which depicted the chaotic mind of a man struggling with gambling addiction. Similarly, Marty Supreme delivers a roller coaster of close calls, self-destruction and egomania. It is the purest realisation of a car crash you want to turn away from, but you can’t help but watch.
Even though you’ll likely be watching through your fingers, Marty Supreme is still an entertaining ride, led by a strong Timothée Chalamet. Yes, Chalamet’s own inflated ego has lost him some fans recently, but it’s hard to deny his memorable work as Marty Mauser. His energetic performance effortlessly creates a character who is equal parts uncompromising, insufferable, socio-pathetic and infectious. For the majority of the runtime, it does feel as though Marty has absolutely no redeeming qualities, but there’s some nuance underneath. Chalamet holds back on giving Marty any genuine humanity until the final moments of the film, but that choice reframes the entire story right before the credits roll. Chalamet’s work as Marty isn’t revolutionary, but it does recall memories of 1970s Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, which is great company to be compared against for the young actor.
While Chalamet is the star at the centre of Marty Supreme, the rest of the cast also steps up to the plate. Odessa A’zion does fine work as Rachel, transforming the character into a fully realised partner in crime, not just Marty’s would-be girlfriend. Gwyneth Paltrow delivers a charmingly understated performance as Kay Stone, appearing more mature and world-weary than she’s ever been. Kevin O’Leary is appropriately slimy as businessman Milton Rockwell, although that’s probably not too much of a stretch for him. Abel Ferrara easily makes our skin crawl as the terrifying gangster Ezra, which is impressive given his limited screen time. Whether big or small, every cast member from Tyler Okonma to Fran Drescher makes some kind of impression.
While Marty Supreme is indeed a non-stop thrill ride with loud, energetic performances, there are still many narrative complexities which will make you think, whether they completely work in the films favour or not. Safdie touches on Post-War relations between America and Japan, evident through the rivalry between Marty and Endo. Additionally, there are running allusions to Marty’s status as a Jewish man in the Post-War era, and what it means for him to succeed in the face of incredible hardship. These ideas aren’t the film’s main subtext, but they do add extra details which make the world of Marty Supreme seem like a somewhat accurate depiction of the culture of 1950s New York. As for the main subtext, Marty Supreme is about the lengths one can go to in seeking a sense of achievement and happiness, possibly at the expense of one’s soul. However, even with these lofty and nuanced ideas, it’s arguable if the film manages to flesh them out to the best result.
For all of the film’s merits, Marty Supreme does occasionally fall victim to overindulgence. With a runtime of 150 minutes, Marty Supreme asks its audience to endure its anxiety inducing pace for an uncomfortably long time. Moreover, after two and a half hours, argumentative, overlapping dialogue makes some scenes start to drag. The constant yelling is obviously meant to be exhausting, as it’s designed to reflect the story’s stressful events. However, with 20 minutes shaved off the edit, Marty Supreme would probably still be a gripping experience, given that the events of the story would be thrilling regardless of how much shouting is in every scene.
Despite its imperfections, Marty Supreme is still an achievement in acting, storytelling, and mild genre subversion. Its mix of relatively nuanced filmmaking and energetic stress makes it likely to become a cult favourite in years to come, being embraced by the same passionate fans who worship the likes of Scarface (1983), Fight Club (1999) and American Psycho (2000).
7/10
Best way to watch it: With Prozac near by.
