Marty Supreme Trailer, Fun Facts & Review
Marty Supreme Synopsis:
Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a young hustler and gifted ping-pong player from the Lower East Side of New York, dreams of becoming the world's greatest table tennis player, despite being constantly underestimated. His journey is a chaotic ride of professional matches, high-stakes bets, and a complicated relationship with a famous movie star (Gwyneth Paltrow), all of which explore the relentless nature of ambition, obsession, and the unconventional path to success.
Genre: Drama, Sports, biography
Release Date: In theaters December 25th, 2025
Marty Supreme Fun Facts:
A24's Most Expensive Film:
The film budget is estimated to be $70 million, which stands out as the most expensive film ever produced by the independent studio A24, exceeding their 2024 movie Civil War.
Inspired by a Real-Life Legend:
Although it is not a traditional biographical film, the story is inspired by the life of Marty Reisman, a professional table tennis player recognized for his showmanship and hustling.
An Unconventional Cast:
The movie features a diverse group of actors and non-actors, including rapper Tyler, the Creator, in his first role in a film, reality TV personality Kevin O'Leary, comedian Fran Drescher, and French highwire artist Philippe Petit.
Gwyneth Paltrow's Return:
This movie is Gwyneth Paltrow's first major role since 2019, and she plays a famous movie star who has a romantic relationship with Marty.
First Solo Directorial Project:
This film is Josh Safdie's first solo directorial project since 2008's The Pleasure of Being Robbed. He co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein, previously they have worked together on films like Uncut Gems and Good Time.
Shot on Site:
To capture the authentic feel of 1950s New York City, the movie was shot on-site using 35mm film. Chalamet is reported to have trained for months with an Olympic athlete to master his table tennis skills for the role.
Christmas Day Release:
The Christmas Day release date is a favored choice for films that aim for significant awards, indicating that the studio believes the movie has a strong chance at the Oscars.
Marty Supreme Review:
Directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme is his first solo project since his last collaboration with his brother Benny Safdie, who recently directed the movie The Smashing Machine. Marty Supreme is a fast-paced, intense, and sometimes harsh look at the world of professional ping-pong in the 1950s. It is a wild, chaotic story that takes the small world of ping-pong and turns it into an intense battle driven by pride and obsession. People are already calling Marty Supreme a brilliant, chaotic masterpiece and the best performance of Timothée Chalamet’s career.
The movie is loosely based on the life of ping-pong legend Marty Reisman. It stars Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a thin, fast-talking shoe salesman from New York City. Marty doesn't just want to play ping-pong; he is obsessed with becoming the absolute best in the world.
The movie follows Marty’s wild rise to fame and his growing desperation as things fall apart. The story moves from shady New York ping-pong clubs to a major tournament in London, where he suffers a painful loss to a Japanese star, Koto Endo. To get back on top, Marty starts conning wealthy people to get enough money for a rematch. This leads him to team up with a wealthy businessman (Kevin O’Leary) and a famous retired actress, Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow).
To prepare for this role, Chalamet has moved away from his usual clean-cut look of the Hollywood lead star. Instead, he uses prosthetic acne scars to make him look more like a real character and acts with a nervous, high-energy style. He gives a performance that many experts think could win him an Oscar. He plays Marty as a narcissist who is self-centered and thinks he deserves everything. Chalamet also makes Marty sympathetic, so the viewers still feel for him.
Gwyneth Paltrow has come out of retirement with a very stylish performance as Kay Stone, a wealthy, retired actress. She is calm and thoughtful and perfectly balances out Marty's wild and frantic energy. While Marty represents the ambitious person who is obsessed with Kay romantically and financially. Kay represents what Marty's future might look like if he continues his current path of obsession.
The movie was filmed by Darius Khondji to capture the grainy look. By using dark shadows and warm, glowing lights, he made New York feel lived-in, like a city that has a 50s vibe and feels current at the same time.
Daniel Lopatin created an exciting, fast-paced electronic soundtrack for the movie. When combined with popular 80s songs (like Tears for Fears), the music creates a sharp sound that is too modern for a story taking place in the 1950s.
Overall, Marty Supreme is a wild and chaotic movie. It breaks all the usual rules for sports films—instead of inspiring uplifting scenes, it shows the ugly truth of a man who thinks he is a genius. He is so obsessed with being the best that he is willing to ruin all his friendships and relationships to prove it.