Marty Supreme
Set against the constantly moving backdrop of 1952, Marty Supreme is a gritty, often exhausting character study of ambition, ego, and obsession. The film follows Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet, Hostiles), a fictious narcissistic visionary who believes he is the chosen one to bring table tennis to American. Marty’s conviction fuels a globe‑hopping journey from New York City to Europe and Japan, where the reigning table tennis world champion lives. However, Marty’s dreams are constantly ruined by his abrasive personality and lack of money.
Timothy Chalamet as Marty Mauser © 2025 A24 − All right reserved.
Marty Supreme packs the film with subplots: lingering tensions from World War II, two affairs with married women, a strained relationship with his parents and friends, a lost dog, and an unexpected pregnancy. At times, this abundance of narrative threads feels distracting, pulling focus away from the sport at the story’s core. Yet these digressions succeed in defining Marty —an intelligent, driven, and deeply unpleasant man whose ambition leaves collateral damage everywhere he goes.
Visually, Marty Supreme leans hard into its period grit, with crowded streets, constant noise, bribery, and claustrophobic closeups. Ping‑pong sequences are usually short, but well executed and moving. The ping-pong games, though, rarely build sustained tension. Odessa D’Azion (I Love LA) as Rachel delivers a standout performance as a pregnant, unhappily married woman in love with Marty; it’s a refreshing departure from her more glamorous roles. Kevin O’Leary’s casting (Shark Tank) as a familiar slimeball presence is surprisingly effective.
Odessa A’Zion as Rachel © 2025 A24 − All right reserved.
Ultimately, the film’s relentless yelling, rapid edits, and grimy aesthetics wear thin, causing stretches to drag. The ending lands in an ambiguous space—neither uplifting nor tragic—leaving Marty Supreme as an uneven but intriguing portrait of obsession and ego in post WWII America.
The unlikeable movie character like Marty and the unpleasant, but realistic, things said recently by Chalamet may cost him a well-deserved Oscar – how petty some critics can be.
© 2025 A24 − All right reserved.
A rainy and snowy day in Seattle – February 13, 2026
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