#REVIEW: “MARTY SUPREME”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) has dreams of being the best table tennis player in the world. But he does not have anyone he really values believing in him, nor does he have the money to travel in order to compete. And his unmatched and unwavering sense of confidence will only take him so far.

After being left cold by Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine earlier this Fall, I was a little hesitant to get too excited for Josh Safdie’s MARTY SUPREME, despite how great the trailers and buzz around the Film were. If you might be feeling the same way, then rest assured when I say that MARTY SUPREME is not just an incredible picture – it is easily one of the best and most exciting films of the year.

Sure, you may have a panic attack in the middle of it, but for fans of Good Time and Uncut Gems, the chaos, upheaval and mountains of bullshit that Marty goes through over the course of this Film’s 150-minute running time will feel like just another day at the office. It is frantic and manic in many of its best scenes, and has an energy coursing through its veins that keeps pumping even during quiet and intimate scenes. This includes the truly bewildering, must-be-seen-to-be-believed opening title sequence that certainly kicks things off with a bang.

While these notes are not necessarily a warning, they should at the very least suggest whether this is the kind of insane ride you want to take this holiday season. I still have not been forgiven by some family members for recommending them watch Uncut Gems and I would not be a very good critic if I subjected someone else’s family to this brand of feral cinema without mentioning caveats like these. Director/Co-Writer Josh Safdie really does have a go-for-broke style that is emulated by very few – not even his own brother – and it makes for a compelling picture. The breakneck pacing is not for everyone though and I can imagine that the constant barrage of scenes filled with people talking over each other will frustrate the hell out of many filmgoers.

That said, MARTY SUPREME is very well done as both a period piece and as an epic all unto itself. The mixture of tunes from the 1950s and the 1980s is a radical choice that works better than you might think, and the lived in feel of each setting does more world building than an untold number of movies made this year with even higher budgets. With his Co–Writer and frequent Collaborator Ronald Bronstein, Safdie has created a unique film that feels very coded to their earlier work with Benny but still manages to feel unique and surprising at every turn. I was shocked in some scenes and laughing so hard I was snorting in others. While I wish the Film was tightened up a bit in the second half, I really do think this is the best work the pair has put together to date.

Of course, it helps that they have Chalamet in the lead role putting every ounce of heart, soul and rizz he has into Marty Mouser. We talked extensively last year about his Oscar-nominated turn as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown with the utmost reverence and yet, it feels like that magnificent performance was merely a warm-up for the colossal, towering work he puts in here. With a near unibrow and a neatly trimmed stache that will make Movember bro hearts swoon, he is practically unrecognizable from his typical young boyish looks. But make no mistake – from the moment he walks on-screen, he commands the attention of everyone acting around him and everyone watching him in the theatre. He is not just delivering poisonous barbs with his give-no-fucks attitude and precision table tennis pro moves (which seem to be a delicate mix of physicality and CGI assisting); he is Marty. It is a blisteringly brilliant and genuinely tragic performance that I am getting choked up over just from trying to describe it. I held onto everything Chalamet does here and frequently felt myself being transported back to the first time I really sat up and paid attention to him when I caught Call Me By Your Name at an extra early morning screening at TIFF’17. I knew in that moment what a generational talent he was going to become, and it is inspiring to see how meticulous and honed his craft has become since. Marty Mouser is his crowning achievement and that callous brand of innocence and BDE he puts into this character makes for one of the best performances I have seen all year.

The Supporting Cast, though overshadowed in every single frame by Chalamet is strong all around. Odessa A’zion (currently lighting up HBO on I Love LA) is terrific as Marty’s long-time friend and secret lover Rachel and Canada’s own Kevin O’Leary (of Dragons’ Den and Shark Tank fame) is a little too good playing the complete greasy business magnet who takes a shining to Marty. I also enjoyed the small turn from cult Film Director Abel Ferrara as a mob enforcer type who Marty and Rachel cross in a not so savoury way.

I could keep talking endlessly about MARTY SUPREME, but suffice to say, I have not stopped thinking about it since I watched it and cannot wait for the opportunity to see it again. It is one of the best films of the year and Chalamet’s work here is the real deal. The tone and style will not be for everyone I will readily admit. I will say though, that those who do venture into this incredible Picture will not walk away disappointed.

Elevation Pictures release MARTY SUPREME on Thursday, December 25, 2025.