A wily hustler with a dream no one respects goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness. A film by Josh Safdie, starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Fran Drescher, Abel Ferrara, Emory Cohen, Géza Röhrig, Penn Jillette, Sandra Bernhard, Koto Kawaguchi, Larry Ratso Sloman, and Luke Manley.

Directed by American filmmaker Josh Safdie from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ronald Bronstein, MARTY SUPREME is a comedy-drama following a young table tennis player on his journey to become world champion. The story is loosely based on the life of American table tennis player Marty Reisman, drawing inspiration from his 1974 memoir, THE MONEY PLAYER: The Confessions of America’s Greatest Table Tennis Champion and Hustler.

Marty Reisman was an American table tennis legend, renowned for his exceptional skill, showmanship, and hustling antics that captivated audiences worldwide. Starting young at New York’s Lawrence’s Broadway Table Tennis Club, he mastered the art of luring bettors by intentionally losing early games before unleashing his dominance. Over his career, Reisman secured 22 major titles from 1946 to 2002, including U.S. Men’s Singles in 1958 and 1960, the 1949 British Open, and the 1997 U.S. Hardbat Championship.

While the narrative is intriguing and the ensemble cast delivers wonderful performances across the board, I found it difficult to root for the protagonist, Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet). He is an ambitious, egotistical table tennis player willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, regardless of the cost or who he hurts along the way. He rarely shows a shred of remorse or humility.

There are fleeting moments where he genuinely seems to care for his childhood friend, Rachel (Odessa A’zion), who is married to Ira Mizler (Emory Cohen). However, he undermines any sympathy we might have by having an affair with her, getting her pregnant, and repeatedly denying his responsibility. He just keeps making one bad decision after another, even betraying the trust of a friend who believes in him.

The film wraps up with a somewhat happy ending, but I seriously doubt Marty would actually settle down and build a family with his girlfriend and their newborn baby.

On the technical side, the cinematography is beautiful and the editing is exhilarating. There’s rarely a dull moment in the film; the pacing keeps things moving, ensuring something exciting is almost always happening on screen. At 135 minutes, the film is entertaining for a first viewing, though it offers little reason for a rewatch.

MARTY SUPREME premiered at the New York Film Festival on 26 October 2025. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 25 December 25 by A24.