Against all odds, “Marty Supreme” makes competitive ping pong feel like the most interesting, high-stakes sport on earth. Inspired by the autobiography of Marty Reisman, frequent A24 collaborator Josh Safdie directs the studio’s most expensive feature at $70 million with a vibrating sense of urgency.
At the center of this madness is Timothée Chalamet (“Dune”), delivering what might be the best performance of his career so far. Audiences already know he’s talented, but here he hits another tier entirely. His character, a relentlessly driven player clawing his way toward the international stage, is equal parts fragile, volatile and laser-focused. When the actor said, “I want to be one of the greats,” the film proves he isn’t kidding.
Safdie knows exactly how to use that hunger, letting Chalamet wander, unravel, recalibrate and explode, and upon being cast in the role, Chalamet began taking ping pong lessons from Olympian Wei Wang. It’s the kind of performance the Academy eats up and the kind he’s been building toward.
But the real curveball is Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank fame stepping into a role who, on paper, mirrors his off-screen image: a sharp, calculating businessman with a desire to expand his pen company into a new market. But instead of leaning on his TV persona, O’Leary brings a grounded intensity to the film that pairs well with the exuberant and “in-over-his-head” nature of Chalamet’s character. O’Leary blends into the Safdie universe with a confidence that makes audiences forget this is O’Leary’s debut acting performance.
Tyler, the Creator also appears in a supporting role, adding an off-kilter charisma that fits the Safdie world nicely. The only hiccup is that the musician’s real-life persona feels so iconic and abrasive that it occasionally bleeds through the performance. Still, when the film lets him sit in the more dramatic beats, he shines.
Despite its hefty runtime at two and a half hours, “Marty Supreme” moves like it’s sprinting. Safdie’s pacing is relentless — not rushed, but intentionally breathless. Audiences are seamlessly transported into Marty Mauser’s chaotic mindset, scrambling to get to an international table tennis competition while facing a slew of personal challenges.
That said, the movie isn’t afraid to take some wild detours. One subplot begins with Chalamet falling through a hotel bathtub onto a man washing his dog, then spirals into a North Jersey dog hunt with a dramatic shootout, and a desperate blackmail scheme to fund a trip to Japan for a tournament. The storyline is undeniably entertaining, but it does tip into “maybe too much” territory. The film stays gripping, but the excess adds a layer of intensity (and length) that isn’t always essential.
Still, when “Marty Supreme” hits, it crushes. This film shows Safdie at his most ambitious since “Uncut Gems”, Chalamet at his most electrifying and A24 at its most willing to gamble big. If audiences (and the Academy) respond the way they should, this ping-pong epic might just become one of the year’s defining films when released on Christmas Day.
5 rallies out of 5
