Best Picture Binge - A24's Marty Supreme

Dream big.

Marty Supreme is a 2025 sports comedy-drama film directed by Josh Safdie, written by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, produced by Central Pictures, and distributed by A24. It is loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman. The film stars Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Chalamet), Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, and Best Costume Design.

"Everything in my life is falling apart but I'm going to figure it out." - Marty Mauser

Plot

Marty Mauser is an extremely charismatic, fast-talking ping pong player...and he is not used to losing. So, when he loses to Japan's best player, Marty embarks on a long journey to reclaim his glory and prove himself as the best ping pong player in the world.

The Sweet

Marty Supreme is another strong Best Picture contender, but for reasons entirely different than Sinners.

I actually saw this film like a week after it came out, but in the midst of me coming back from vacation, my end of the year rankings, and the end of Stranger Things, I just did not have any time to review it. But now I get to make up for that by reviewing it for the Best Picture Binge.

There are two things that make Marty Supreme one of 2025's best movies. The first is the screenplay. I haven't actually seen any films that have been co-written by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, but I know this is very much their style. I haven't seen Uncut Gems, but I've heard it shares a surprising amount of similiarities to Marty Supreme despite the two of them being very different films.

This screenplay does something that I think a lot of screenplays really fail to do - it's smarter than it's audience. Wherever you think this movie is going, you're wrong. Whenever you think you have the plot figured out, you don't. And, despite that, every single crazy turn and plot development that happens makes sense. It doesn't feel like things are happening just out of the blue. The script isn't random. It's a perfect example of how to escalate a story through unpredictability and embracing insanity. This movie goes for some absolutely crazy things, but all of them feel plausible because they set up that Marty is this fast-talking guy who tries to weasel his way out of every situation that could get him in trouble. When you have that character as your main protagonist, it feels like anything can happen. And it does kind of feel like everything happens in this movie.

The other thing that makes this movie is, unsurprisingly, Timothée Chalamet. Arguably the face of the new generation of Hollywood, Chalamet continues to just take his career in new and interesting directions, and it seems like he's on pace for his first Oscar win. You can write a character like Marty perfectly and it will not matter if the performance doesn't work. You need someone who can be convincing as this complete slimeball who is also incredibly charming. Nearly everything Marty does in this movie is morally wrong. He is such a sleazey human being who manipulates and lies and holds empty promises...but Chalamet carries such a charm and convinces you of his passion for ping pong so well that he's a really likable character. That's how you know a performance works. A character that should be so unlikable and horrible is just captivating any time he's on screen.

I also feel like this movie has some really deep, resonant themes that don't fully come to fruition until the end. At first glance, the ending of this movie can seem underwhelming, but I think it actually picks the smarter route to go. It could've had some big, loud third act twist that shocked the audience because that's what it had been doing all along. But instead, it opts to have a quieter, character-based resolution that still delivers satisfying moments but really leans into the thematc importance of chasing your dreams. The more I think about the end of Marty Supreme, the more I love it.

The supporting cast here does not, of course, measure up to Timothée Chalamet, but I was impressed at how well they held their own. Odessa A'zion is a relatively unknown actress, but she absolutely knocks it out of the park by being a foil to Marty. She is quieter and more reserved, but she can also manipulate her way out of things in a much calmer way than Marty, and A'zion plays that really well. She's able to hold her own against Chalamet. That's automatically impressive. The other two that really worked for me are not actors. Tyler the Creator and Kevin O'Leary are a rapper and a businessman...and yet they are fantastic. Tyler has some of the funniest moments in the movie. You buy his friendship with Marty and his hesitance to ever help him out with anything. Kevin O'Leary basicaly plays the version of Mr. Wonderful that this movie needs...and it works really, really well. I was shocked at how good he was. He shares the screen with Gwyneth Paltrow and Timothée Chalamet...and goes toe-to-toe with them in his first ever film role. That's impressive.

And, as much as I credit Tyler and O'Leary, I also owe a lot of credit to Josh Safdie. This is a movie where you can tell the director worked hard with the actors to make sure they were all in sync and the performances and tone of the scene lined up with the intended feeling. Marty Supreme moves at a breakneck speed, so you need a director who is ready to embrace that challenge. It never lets it's foot off the pedal, and i think if you had had a weaker talent behind the camera, this movie may not have received a Best Picture nod because it just would have been crushed under all the insanity of this story and these characters.

The Sour

I don't really have much here. The few things I have are pretty nitpick-y, so just keep that in mind. None of these really bother me all that much.

I think this movie could be five or ten minutes shorter. As it stands, Marty Supreme is two and a half hours, and I think there could've been some excess cut from this movie. Not to say that it's a slow movie - it's not. As I've said many times, it moves at a breakneck speed. But I think some of the insanity and craziness of this story probably did not need to be in the final cut. I think it would've made the movie feel even tighter and more compact.

I also found Gwyneth Paltrow's character to be a little bit strange. She serves her purpose well in the story, but her purpose really serves Marty rather than being her own character. I loved all of the supporting cast except for her, which is strange, because she's definitely the most talented name in this movie that isn't Timothée Chalamet. Part of it may be that this movie is so zany and off-the-wall and Paltrow plays a relatively subdued character in the midst of all of this, so the character just didn't work as well for me.

And, finally, Marty Supreme is an acquired taste. If you prefer introspective, thoughtful movies that are quieter character studies...this will not be for you. Marty Supreme is absolutely introspective and thoughtful, but not in the way you'd expect. It's a loud, intense, insane movie. If you that sounds like your cup of tea, you'll have a good time with this movie. If it doesn't...I'd probably skip this one. It just won't be for you.

Does It Deserve Its Best Picture Nomination?

Absolutely. Marty Supreme is an excellently crafted comedy-drama that has some incredibly assured direction, an extremely clever screenplay, and some of the year's best performances. It feels unique but also familiar in the right way, which is exactly what I want from a Best Picture nominee.

Final Thoughts and Score

Marty Supreme is an absolutely insane romp with a great starring performance and a snappy screenplay that made for one of the most surprising and entertaining movies I saw in 2025.

I am going Sweet here. Age range is 14+.

SWEET N' SOUR SCALE

Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible)

"Marty Supreme"

Fun Factor: 8.5/10

Acting: 9.5/10

Story: 9/10

Characters: 8/10

Quality: 9/10

Directed by Josh Safdie

Rated R for moderate violence and action, language, disturbing themes and images, thematic elements

Released on December 25, 2025

2 hours and 29 minutes

Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser

Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay Stone

Kevin O'Leary as Milton Rockwell

Odessa A'zion as Rachel Mizler

Tyler Okonma as Wally

Abel Ferrara as Ezra Mishkin

Fran Drescher as Rebecca Mauser

Luke Manley as Dion Galanis

Emory Cohen as Ira Mizler

Larry Sloman as Murray Norkin

Koto Kawaguchi as Koto Endo

Géza Röhrig as Bela Kletzki

Ralph Colucci as Lloyd