Timothée Chalamet has been killing it with his most recent roles. With his two 2024 films, Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown, scoring Best Picture nominations at the Academy Awards, and Wonka being a box-office success in Christmas 2023, there aren’t many actors putting out as high a caliber of work as Chalamet. Marty Supreme looks to be his next big hit, as A24 poured roughly $70 million into the project, making it one of the studio’s highest-budgeted films of all time. With Josh Safdie coming in hot off the success of Uncut Gems, there was a lot of anticipation for this to deliver, and luckily, it does.

Marty Supreme follows Marty Mouser, played by Chalamet, a table tennis player hoping to become a national champion. After losing to the Japanese champion in the finals, his anger leads him into a series of mishaps as he prepares to face him again. From con-schemes with his table tennis colleagues to a newfound relationship with a businessman and his wife, Marty’s journey to greatness leads him to understanding who he wants to be and how he wants to live his life.

The film is loosely based on the life of Marty Reisman, and a heavy emphasis on “loosely.” While the person did in fact exist, Marty Supreme is a Josh Safdie film through and through; an exhilarating and relentlessly entertaining depiction of the American dream following a young man trying to make it big. Although the film touches upon Reisman’s hustling and time working for the Harlem Globetrotters, a majority of the events that happen in the film are not what Reisman experienced. Instead of being a by-the-books biopic, Josh Safdie and writing partner Ronald Bronstein used traits of Reisman to produce an original story about one’s rise to fame. Those expecting a biopic will likely come out disappointed, but those eager for another Safdie adventure will have a blast with Marty Supreme.

The opening sequence perfectly sets the tone and pace of the rest of the film. Following Marty Mouser as a shoe salesman, the audience is immediately let in on Marty’s charisma and power to sell himself to others. The scene then transitions to him having sex in the shop’s basement with his married best friend, Rachel Mizler, played by Odessa O’Zion. This sequence captures both Marty’s spontaneity and his rocky relationship with Rachel. What transpires in this scene is one of the most bizarre opening-credits sequences in years, letting the audience know the craziness that is about to ensue and teasing a plotline that occurs later in the film. Josh Safdie’s films are known for their abrasive nature, but not many are as abrasive as the first couple minutes of Marty Supreme.

Timothée Chalamet already has a slew of classic characters despite his limited filmography. From Paul Atredies in the Dune films to Elio in Call Me By Your Name, his committed performances have made these characters as popular as they are. Marty Mouser is bound to be his next classic character, as Chalamet delivers what is possibly his best performance to date. His natural, youthful energy does wonders for Marty as a character, making him a kooky, always watchable presence despite the harm he causes those around him. Despite his skill as a table tennis player, Marty’s true talent is as a performer, constantly fooling those around him into believing he is someone he is not. This aspect of his character is beautifully exhibited in a scene at a theater rehearsal, where he gives one of the actors strong advise on his performance despite having no acting experience of his own. While this skill has taken him to national championships, it also brings him to the brink of death at times, and seeing Chalamet channel Marty’s inner dilemmas makes for a fully realized character that is impossible to look away from. Much like Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems, Chalamet’s performance is more than worthy of awards recognition, and if this is the performance that wins him the Oscar, there won’t be many that will complain.

Chalamet’s performance as Marty not only elevates the movie to new heights, but his relationships with those around him are equally compelling, particularly his interactions with Rachel, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kay Stone. Both characters serve as means to give Marty power: Rachel is the lower-class individual that Marty takes advantage of, while Kay is the woman of high authority that Marty seeks to gain access to. Both are also trying to feed off of Marty, with Rachel seeking love and compassion from him, while Kay finds that her bond with him gives her the spark to make her life fulfilling once again. Rachel and Kay could’ve easily been written off as pawns in Marty’s path to success, but the rich screenplay allows these characters to become more than the average female presence in a crime film. What’s even better is that they are both giving excellent performances, with Paltrow effortlessly channeling the struggles of a housewife in the ’50s, while O’Zion gives a star-making performance as a woman who’s tired of being pushed around by the men surrounding her life.

Both Josh and Benny Safdie are known for their unconventional casting choices, ranging from Robert Pattinson as a criminal on the run in Good Time to Adam Sandler as a narcissistic gambling addict in Uncut Gems, and most recently Dwayne Johnson as UFC champion Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. Marty Supreme once again continues the Safdies’ streak of unconventional casting choices with the inclusion of Tyler Okonma (aka Tyler, the Creator), Abel Ferrara, and Kevin O’Leary. Okonma plays Wally, a character that is extremely different from his real-life self, which makes it all the more surprising that he is great in the role. Similar to Marty, Wally is a hustler and table tennis player, but has a lot more at stake due to having children to care for. He exudes Marty’s eccentricity at times, but his understanding of the nature of his situation makes for the perfect middleman, and Okonma captures that beautifully.

Abel Ferrara has had a couple of acting credits in the past but is best known for his directing, including Bad Lieutenant and King of New York. His performance in Marty Supreme feels like he’s channeling all his past characters into one. He plays a wealthy, smelly, blind man with a lust for power to a threatening degree, heightening the tension in every scene he appears in. Although he only appears in a handful of sequences, Ferrara makes the most out of his limited screentime. The standout of the supporting male cast is easily Kevin O’Leary. One could call his performance “easy” as he plays a character similar to his real-life persona, but there are multiple moments of drama that O’Leary delivers in spades. He captures the businessman mogul to a highly effective degree, with a slight glance channeling more prowess than nearly every other character in the film. There was no denying that Chalamet was going to give a great performance in Marty Supreme, but O’Leary makes just as big an impact because of how surprisingly good he is.

The film has the signature Safdie style: fast-paced, thriller-infused entertainment that makes it breeze through its runtime. For a film so dedicated to giving the audience a good time, there is a shocking amount of substance in the writing that makes it stand out from the average crime thriller. Marty Supreme is not just a film about the American dream, but how performance plays a pivotal role in making it big. The film attempts to tell the tragic truth that putting on a good appearance is much more important on the path to success than having a talent, and that by putting on a performance, one can lose sight of what to value in life. In a time when a reality TV star has been elected president of the United States twice, this theme feels incredibly timely. The final shot perfectly summarizes this theme, while also showcasing Chalamet’s raw talent as an actor. Toeing the line between entertainment and developing dark, timely themes is difficult to do, but Safdie manages to pull it off in all the best ways.

The film feels extremely episodic, following Marty as he interacts with various groups of people to make it in life. Although the episodic nature helps lend the film an epic scale, it can come across as meandering at times, failing to disclose what it wants to do. The ending absolutely makes up for it, however, delivering an intense climax that ends very differently from Safdie’s previous efforts. The film is also high-tension for its entire runtime, and while it is always entertaining, it can be a lot to take in, especially for those with high anxiety. The trailers may market the movie as an inspiring story, but the film is much grittier and more intense, feeling like it takes place in the same universe as Uncut Gems.

Marty Supreme is a powerhouse of a movie, firing on all cylinders to create an exuberant, yet highly entertaining film about our times. Josh Safdie once again proves to be one of the defining filmmakers of his generation, while Timothée Chalamet shows his vast range as an actor in what will be one of his most iconic roles. Constantly hilarious with incredible moments of tension, Marty Supreme is the kind of movie that fails to escape your mind once the credits roll.

Marty Supreme will be released in theaters nationwide on December 25.

Rating: 9/10

Oscar Prospects:

Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Supporting Actress x2, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Casting