8/10
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of Marty Supreme. The Timothée Chalamet-led project also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler Okonma, and breakout star Odessa A’zion. It hit theaters on Christmas Day (as you’d know by being tormented by Chalamet’s infamous one-word phrase MARTYSUPREMECHRISTMASDAY) with anticipation seldom seen for an A24 flick.
Marty Supreme is a remarkably solid movie. It’s well acted (headed up by a perfect leading performance), beautifully curated, thematically thorough, and endlessly entertaining. Slight warning, though: you might need a Xanax to keep your head straight. It’s that overstimulating.
Marty Supreme follows Marty Mauser (Chalamet), a world-renowned ping pong player and small-time hustler in ’50s New York City. His endlessly chaotic presence overwhelms supporting characters, including his girlfriend Rachel Mizler (A’zion), his movie star mistress Kay Stone (Paltrow), and best buddy Wally (Okonma). With no money to support his ping pong playing dreams, and no mercy from anyone in his life, Mauser endlessly searches for enough money to gain the success and fame he feels he deserves. Mauser burns every bridge in his life at least once (and most of the important ones twice), but there is always a certain charisma surrounding Chalamet’s character. You can’t ever look away. There’s always some blood or a ping pong ball swinging at your face.
This is the Timothée Chalamet movie. It’s the one that in 70 years you’ll tell your grandkids about when they ask, “Who even is that rando sitting courtside at the Knicks?” He hits every single mark. This is a character that is so extremely unlikeable, one that mimics our worst personal traits, one that can piss you off at any moment. But against all odds, Chalamet’s delivery puts you in a trance. Chalamet’s Mauser is well-rounded, extremely passionate to an extent that is pathetic, but every once in a while, concerningly inspiring. You can’t fathom that a person this sleazy could exist, but it’s impossible to believe that this isn’t a fully developed person. He’s completely human—a horrible human, but human nonetheless.
Oh, and Marty Supreme is genuinely hilarious. The film has multiple laugh-out-loud moments, including maybe the funniest scene of the year (the one with the bathtub), and a couple gags straight out of left field. Though the movie leans light on the literal ping pong playing, ping pong paddles are used for more than you could ever imagine.
When thinking about the actors that surround Chalamet, one question comes to mind: what was happening in the Marty Supreme casting room? A’zion is a nepo baby newcomer (her mother is Pamela Adlon) with an incredible performance highlighted by a few genuinely shocking moments. She totally lands some of the movie’s biggest beats. Okonma (better known as Tyler, the Creator) makes his big screen debut via direct flight from Coachella. Kevin O’Leary (playing Stone’s business magnate husband, Milton Rockwell) comes straight off a million-dollar deal on Shark Tank, and Paltrow is back from the Goop graveyard.
Not only is the casting star-studded, it’s incredibly unconventional. Mauser’s ping pong rival, Koto Endo, is played by real deaf table tennis player Koto Kawaguchi. Famous independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara plays Ezra, a dog-loving mob boss straight out of an Abel Ferrara movie. Other supporting players include NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin; Gristedes and D’Agostino Supermarket owner John Catsimatidis; former SAG-AFTRA president Fran Dresher; and Luke Manley, a man quite literally found on the street.
It’s the most delightful dumpster fire imaginable.
The curator of this chaotic mess is Josh Safdie, one half of the Safdie Brothers, directors of a couple even more overstimulating movies. In his first solo endeavor, Safdie loosens the reins just a little bit, keeping his distinct voice, but letting Chalamet and the overall atmosphere control the film.
On a thematic note, “Who the hell even is this guy?” and “What did I just watch?” are the only two things on your mind as you leave the theater. And it’s even harder to leave with true reflections on the movie considering its themes seem to be quite simple. The theme of sometimes accepting one’s life instead of always striving for more and more makes sense in the context of its characters and plot, but it feels ungratifying. After two and a half hours of watching nonstop action, that’s what you’re giving us?
Visually, Marty Supreme is exceptional. It feels nostalgic by evoking a warm, energetic atmosphere from a time 50 years before we were even born. Its familiarity is backed up by timeless music design, including a futuristic metronomic score and two ginormous needle drops (“Forever Young” by Alphaville and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears).
From the moment you recline your chair, Marty Supreme doesn’t give you a dull moment. It’s fast-paced, overstuffed, a complete mess, and high adrenaline in one single film, complete with a few jaw dropping moments. It’s impossible to yawn and plausible to pass out.
You can’t talk about the Marty Supreme that’s on the movie screen without talking about the Marty Supreme that’s on the internet. Far from the ’50s ping pong period piece, the film’s media presence has presented the new blueprint for movie marketing. Complete with orange tracksuits, a “leaked” A24 zoom call, an Esdeekid remix, and a trip to the top of The Sphere, Marty Supreme has been unavoidable for anyone on the internet.
And so is Chalamet.
With the success of Marty Supreme, Chalamet is cemented as a generational actor. The Gen Z A-lister. Chalamet’s ability to draw crowds to artsy, character driven, awards movies is something that industry insiders believed was long dead. His Marty Supreme essence has singlehandedly created the template for the future of superstar publicity. And he might win a couple awards while doing it.
