Marty Supreme Is the Year-End Triumph You Can’t Miss

Consider this an early present: Josh Safdie went full tilt with A24 on a period ping-pong saga and somehow made one of the year’s best movies. Maybe the best. Timothee Chalamet leads it, and he is not messing around.

What this thing is

Set in New York, 1952, and loosely inspired by real table tennis legend Marty Reisman, 'Marty Supreme' follows Marty Mauser (Chalamet), a kid with a singular mission: become the greatest ping-pong player on Earth. That tunnel vision takes him, and anyone unlucky enough to care about him, through the wringer in the name of greatness and so-called purpose.

Chalamet, locked in

Chalamet’s casting almost feels like fate. Back in February, after winning the SAG Award for Male Actor in a Leading Role for playing Bob Dylan in 'A Complete Unknown', he said this during his speech:

"I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats. I’m inspired by the greats here tonight."

Marty Mauser wants the same thing, just with way fewer brakes. And Chalamet absolutely disappears into him. It’s the rare star turn where you stop seeing the star. For roughly 2.5 hours, it’s just a fast-talking early-20s knucklehead solving one self-inflicted crisis with another. The awards chatter will be loud, and it should be, but even if he wins nothing, the work stands. He’s terrific, full stop.

Marty is... not a hero

Marty’s a charmer and a menace at the same time. Safdie and co-writer Ronald Bronstein never pretend otherwise. He’s that guy who keeps stepping in it and then smooth-talks his way out, until he doesn’t. The few people who look past the grin see the damage in progress. That’s where Gwyneth Paltrow comes in.

The orbit around Marty

Paltrow plays Kay Stone, an actress and socialite who starts an affair with Marty. She’s been where he is, and she knows how choices made at 22 can haunt you at 42. She’s the mirror he doesn’t want. The supporting cast is stacked, and everyone shows up ready to score:

• Odessa A'zion as Rachel, Marty’s childhood friend and maybe-girlfriend, who is also married
• Tyler Okonma (better known as Tyler, the Creator) as Wally, Marty’s friend and table tennis hustling partner
• Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay Stone, actress/socialite entangled with Marty
• Kevin O'Leary (yes, Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank) as Milton Rockwell, a wealthy businessman who takes an interest in Marty — and happens to be Kay’s husband
• Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard, and Abel Ferrara also pop in with sharp, memorable turns

The O'Leary thing sounds like a stunt. It’s not. He has no formal acting credits outside reality TV, and he still walks off with a couple scenes. It should not work. It does.

Safdie mode: maximum pressure

Expect plenty of comparisons to 'Uncut Gems' (co-directed by Josh with Benny Safdie and co-written with Bronstein). Fair. 'Marty Supreme' pulses with the same frantic energy and creeping dread: one bad decision begets a worse one, and you barely get a breath before the next serve. Marty is so locked on his goal he can’t see the collateral damage — to himself or anyone close.

What the movie is actually asking

Beyond the hustle and the laughs (and it is very funny in spots), the movie pokes at bigger questions. What happens if you reach your dream? Was it really your purpose, or just a shiny idea you were chasing? If you do get there, then what? Those answers can blow up your worldview. You don’t need to be the best in the world at something to relate. Even if your dream is being the best accountant in the office, what do you sacrifice to get there? Which relationships do you sideline? And what if the thing that matters most has been sitting right in front of you the whole time?

Craft that hits hard

The period detail sings — costumes and production design feel dead-on without turning into a costume party. The editing stays in lockstep with Marty’s spiral, snapping you from scheme to scheme. Daniel Lopatin’s score is the ace: high-energy, pulse-forward music that shouldn’t fit a 1950s ping-pong dramedy and somehow fits perfectly.

The verdict

'Marty Supreme' is a blast and a gut-punch, often in the same scene. Chalamet has never been better, the ensemble is a killer lineup, and Safdie and Bronstein build a world full of people who feel lived-in. It’s gripping, funny, and quietly devastating when it needs to be. Put it on your Best Of list now.

'Marty Supreme' opens in theaters Thursday, December 25.