Marty Supreme Review (2025): Chaotic, Relentless, and Absolutely Worth Watching

Genres – Drama, Dark Comedy
Director – Josh Safdie
Writers – Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein
Cast – Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher
Runtime – 150 Minutes
My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆

Where to watch/stream Marty Supreme

Marty Supreme is one of my favorite films of the year, anchored by possibly the best lead performance I’ve seen in ages.

Okay, I’ll admit it – Marty Supreme completely blindsided me, where I found myself rooting for a guy I wanted to punch in the face multiple times.

Plot Summary of Marty Supreme (Spoiler-Free)

Marty Supreme follows Marty Mauser, a hustler whose life revolves around turning small chances into big wins, and where the story dives into the competitive world of professional ping pong, but don’t expect the table to dominate the screen time.

Most of the movie is about Marty scheming, negotiating, and manipulating his way through encounters with friends, rivals, and total strangers, where there’s tension, there’s comedy, there’s heartbreak, and there’s a strange kind of brilliance in watching someone push so hard for fame and success that it feels like he’s running on pure stubborn energy.

Along the way, Marty interacts with a colorful cast of characters who test his patience, charm, and moral compass, where some support him, some try to check him, and some suffer because of him, and while ping pong plays a central role in his goals, it’s really a story about hustle, ambition, and the messy consequences of going all-in on your own ego.

Marty Supreme: Is It Worth Watching?

I loved it.

Yes, it’s stressful, yes, some moments drag, but the sheer audacity of the storytelling and the jaw-dropping performance from Timothée Chalamet make it impossible to ignore, and the film is, in a word, relentless – Marty is relentless, the story is relentless, and by the end, you’re almost as exhausted as he is.

You keep thinking, this guy is probably going to ruin everything, and then he somehow didn’t, at least not entirely, and there’s a strange thrill in watching a character so determined that he makes every morally questionable choice you can imagine, and still, against all odds, you find yourself rooting for him.

Chalamet’s performance is incredible, and cannot be understated, where he brings energy, charm, and a sort of mischievous desperation that feels completely natural, and there are moments of pure rage, moments of subtle regret, and moments where he’s just infuriatingly likable, which is no small feat considering how much Marty lies, cheats, and manipulates along the way.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched a lead character I hated and loved in equal measure, and Chalamet pulls it off where he’s human, messy, ambitious, and deeply frustrating, and I mean that in the best way.

The supporting cast is smartly chosen, too.

Gwyneth Paltrow provides grounding moments, a calm presence in the chaos of Marty’s life, while Kevin O’Leary and Tyler Okonma have small but sharp turns that lean into their public personas with some cleverness, and Odessa A’Zion is the breakout star you didn’t know you were rooting for until she completely owns the screen as Rachel.

Her performance is devastating, full of nuance, and somehow makes you sympathize with someone influenced by a person like Marty – someone both victimized and victimizing in their own right.

Now, the Safdie brothers’ fingerprints are all over this, as the movie is chaotic, high-energy, and occasionally exhausting, and there are moments where you might have to take a deep breath because Marty’s scheming and impulsive decisions pile on tension after tension.

Some scenes go on longer than necessary, and a few subplots could have been trimmed to tighten the pacing, but the opening and ending sequences are so precise and satisfying that I let those moments slide, and by the end, Marty hasn’t changed a whole lot, but there’s a subtle shift in his perspective that gives the story closure without being saccharine.

And one of the more interesting aspects of the film is how it quietly critiques American hustle culture, as Marty embodies the idea that sheer effort and cleverness will get you everything you want, but it’s not just about hard work – it’s about what you’re willing to do to get ahead.

And, spoiler-free, that’s messy, as we watch Marty step on people, disregards relationships, and burns bridges, all for what he believes is a bigger payoff, where the film subtly suggests that hustle isn’t inherently noble, and chasing success at all costs can leave you alone at the finish line, applauded by strangers but unnoticed by those who actually matter.

The narrative also does a great job of making us think about comparisons without ever hitting us over the head. and Marty’s foils, Kletzki and Endo, are examples of people who achieved their goals with humility, grace, and patience.

Watching Marty struggle alongside them, so often missing the lesson, makes his triumphs feel hollow in a way that is both satisfying and frustrating to watch, but it’s brilliant storytelling because it keeps you invested in the character while also letting you question the idea of success itself.

And let’s be real too, the movie is funny, darkly funny, absurdly funny, and sometimes painfully funny, but Marty’s over-the-top hustling leads to situations so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh, even when he’s making a mess of everything around him,. and thankfully the humor never undercuts the tension – it heightens it.

The only real downside for me is pacing, as some of the acts drag, especially when Marty’s schemes keep looping into one another, and there were a few points where I found myself thinking, Okay, I get it, he’s clever and relentless, and needed a break from the constant tension.

A little trimming, especially around certain side characters and minor subplots, would have made this film even better, but that’s a minor quibble in an otherwise outstanding movie.

By the final act, the movie pulls it all together, as we see Marty reach his goal, and while it’s a triumphant moment on the surface, there’s a melancholy undercurrent to it all, and the way the crowd reacts, the way the story frames success, and the little details in Marty’s own behavior make you think, Is this really what he wanted, or just what he thought he wanted?

Marty Supreme won’t be a crowd-pleaser in the traditional sense, it’s not easy, and it’s not comfortable, and I suspect it will get mixed reviews when it hits streaming, much like One Battle After Another has, but that’s exactly why it works, too.

It challenges you, it challenges the characters, and it challenges what you think about ambition, drive, and morality, and through it all, Timothée Chalamet gives a performance that will probably haunt awards season for anyone trying to compete with him.

What I liked (And What I Didn’t like)

Pros

Timothée Chalamet’s performance

Relentless, charming, infuriating, and deeply human.

Odessa A’Zion’s breakout role

Complex, devastating, and utterly captivating.

The chaotic, high-energy pacing

It keeps you on edge in the best possible way.

Subtle critique of American hustle culture

Ambition isn’t always noble, and the film makes you feel that.

Clever supporting cast

Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma – perfectly cast and nuanced.

Dark humor

Absurd, awkward, and hilarious moments perfectly balanced with tension.

Unique story focus

Ping pong is fun but secondary – the real story is Marty’s journey.

Moral complexity

Rooting for a deeply flawed character helps makesthe film emotionally engaging.

Emotional range

The film makes you laugh, groan, cringe, and cheer – sometimes all at once.

Cons

Some pacing issues

Some scenes repeat Marty’s scheming too much.

Minor subplots could be trimmed

Certain side characters take too long to develop.

Some supporting characters underused

A few interesting figures don’t get enough screen time.

Who Might Like Marty Supreme

• Fans of Timothée Chalamet
• People who enjoy high-energy, chaotic storytelling
• Viewers who appreciate morally complex characters
• Fans of dark humor mixed with tension
• Those interested in critiques of ambition and hustle culture
• Audiences who don’t mind intense, sometimes stressful pacing
• Fans of the Safdie brothers’ previous work
• Viewers who like characters that are both infuriating and magnetic
• Anyone looking for a movie that sticks with them after watching

Who Might Dislike Marty Supreme

• Viewers who prefer calm, low-stress storytelling
• People who want a traditional sports movie
• Those who dislike morally ambiguous protagonists
• Audiences who struggle with tense, high-stakes situations
• Those who get frustrated with minor subplot clutter
• People looking for light, feel-good content
• Anyone who can’t handle watching a protagonist make constant selfish choices

Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching Marty Supreme?

Marty Supreme is exhausting, hilarious, and brilliant all at once.

Timothée Chalamet is a revelation, the supporting cast is fantastic, and the story is a wild ride through ambition, ego, and consequences.

I wouldn’t change a thing about the ride….Well, maybe a couple of small things.

8.5/10

Marty Supreme Trailer

Simon Leasher

A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More

And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.