Marty Supreme Review: Hitting Championship Form

As the gridiron goes cold, the hardwood is just heating up as basketball is hitting its mid-season stride. Simultaneously, the film world is entering its own "playoffs," with the Oscars only a month away. For film fans, there has been no storyline that has attracted more headlines this year than the heated [sibling] rivalry between the Safdie Brothers. 

Since their debut in 2008, brothers Benny and Josh Safdie have cultivated a cult following. After a string of successful independent films, Heaven Knows What and Good Time, the Safdie Brothers reached critical and commercial heights with their 2019 hit Uncut Gems. An anxiety-inducing ode to basketball, the film reflects the brothers’ lifelong New York Knicks fandom; in fact, according to a 2019 article from Vulture, the film was originally centered around former Knicks' power forward, Amar'e Stoudemire, but had to pivot to Kevin Garnett when the player was unavailable.

Following the success of Uncut Gems, which became A24’s highest-grossing domestic release at the time, the duo’s profile skyrocketed, but was soon met with news that would shock their fanbase. In 2024, the brothers split up to pursue solo careers, and it was announced both brothers would be in direct competition with each other the next year with their own sports themed Oscar contenders backed by A24: The Smashing Machine (Benny Safdie) vs Marty Supreme (Josh Safdie). Additionally, Safdie recruited fellow Knicks fan Timothée Chalamet to lead his project. 

With A24 pitting the brothers toe-to-toe this season, a clear heavyweight champion has emerged: Marty Supreme. Both a critical and commercial success, Marty Supreme distinguishes itself not only against Benny Safdie's project, but amongst the rest for being one of the best movies of the year.

Marty Supreme follows Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a young New Yorker obsessed with becoming the greatest ping-pong player in history. After a humiliating defeat at the British Open by Japan’s Endo Koto, and a subsequent ban from the International Table Tennis Association, Mauser is forced to hustle his way to raise the funds needed to reinstate himself and accomplish his ultimate goal: to reach the World Championships in Japan and avenge his loss to Koto.

Marty Supreme is a triumph because it serves as a pure extension of Josh Safdie's vision. Tonally, the film mirrors Uncut Gems as a high-paced, anxiety-inducing rush, making Marty Supreme feel like a Safdie movie. This rush perfectly complements the subject matter as this high-stakes environment encapsulates Marty Mauser's pursuit of greatness at all costs, constantly making enemies just to stay one foot ahead.

Moreover, Josh Safdie's commitment to injecting non-actors into his cast not only highlights the brilliance of casting director Jennifer Venditti, who earned an Oscar nomination for Best Casting, but why he is one of the most talented directors in Hollywood today. Safdie's ability to extract an Oscar-worthy performance from the controversial Kevin O'Leary serves as a testament to what he is capable of doing. Furthermore, securing a SAG ensemble nomination for a cast featuring magician Penn Jillette from Penn & Teller, rapper Tyler, The Creator, and internet personality Fatrick Ewig only solidifies this point. Much like the head coach for the Knicks, Safdie develops a game plan that gets the most out of his team as he positions his cast up for success.

If Josh Safdie is the head coach, Timothée Chalamet is the point guard that shines on the court. Safdie is drawing up places and assembling the talent, and Chalamet is the floor general whom the entire offense flows through.  He doesn't just carry every scene he's in; he elevates his castmates, providing the "assists" that allow his screen partners like Odessa A'Zion and Gwyneth Paltrow to shine. Even while elevating his teammates, Chalamet remains the all-star of the team. His total transformation into Marty Mauser is one of the primary reasons why this movie works. Chalamet's portrayal of a man obsessed with greatness that will stop at nothing to be the best at his profession is so captivating, despite how flawed the character may be.

Chalamet was so committed to the role that his Marty Supreme persona seeped into the real world during the film's press tour. While his egocentric tactics polarized some, according to IndieWire, Chalamet says he’s been very intentional in emulating his character's "GOAT" athlete mentality for promo, as if the "spirit of Marty" has taken control of him. This self-belief pushed the boundaries of the movie's marketing and showed what one individual can do in selling a movie. Between the blimp stunt, the viral demand for the Marty Supreme Jacket, or debunking rumors that he's Liverpool-based rapper Esdeekid by hopping on the "4 Raws Remix," Chalamet's devotion was infectious. This "all-in" approach proved to be successful; Marty Supreme grossed $147 million on a $70 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing A24 film of all time.

While Safdie and Chalamet are the faces of the film, the "below-the-line" crew serves as the essential assistant coaching staff, anchoring the director’s vision. Sonically, the score and sound design establish the anxiety-inducing tone that locks the audience into the chaos. Visually, the cinematography utilizes grainy film stock that adds a layer of rawness to the story, while the dynamic camera angles mirror the movie's frantic energy. Finally, the editing, handled by Safdie himself and co-collaborator Ronald Bronstein, serves as an extension of this cinematography, with its sharp cuts fueling the film's fast-paced nature. Together, all of these departments work synergistically to create an adrenaline rush that keeps your heart pumping and pushes you to the edge of your seat.

However, for all its highlights, the movie is not without its flaws.

While the story does have its memorable moments, particularly in the opening and closing acts, the midsection drags significantly. Sure, showcasing the various odd jobs and schemes Mauser utilizes to keep his dream alive is narratively important, but it ends up just being really repetitive. With a lengthy 150-minute runtime, roughly half an hour feels like filler, unintentionally slowing down a movie that is designed to play really fast.

Beyond its pacing, the film struggles with a central message, clouded by its stylish presentation. Like Safdie's past two protagonists Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) in Good Time and Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) in Uncut Gems, Marty Mauser acts as a cautionary figure: a man whose "greatness" comes at the expense of the people around him. While it is inspiring to dream as big as Marty Mauser, he is a flawed character who constantly has to hurt other people in order to pursue his own greatness. To blindly follow his optimism is delusional. However, due to the film's style and marketing campaign, Marty Mauser is framed as a lifestyle icon that should be idolized. While this is true to an extent, it fails to paint the holistic picture of what Marty Mauser's character is supposed to represent. This is only solidified in a 2025 article from GQ, where Josh Safdie tells the publication how to read into the ending as it showcases the culmination of all of Mauser's actions into a single frame.

Despite the dragging midsection and a somewhat muddled message, Marty Supreme still remains an absolute must watch. Josh Safdie's transition to solo directing is a natural evolution, successfully scaling his signature style to meet his ambitious vision. He works with Timothée Chalamet to deliver a thrill ride that takes you on an anxiety-filled adventure across both NYC and the world, as you follow Marty Mauser's pursuit of greatness, showing both its benefits and its sacrifices.

The film's achievements were rightfully recognized this awards season. Marty Supreme nabbed nine Academy Awards nominations, with Josh Safdie earning four individual nominations and Timothée Chalamet receiving a nomination for Best Actor. While it remains to be seen how much hardware the film will actually take home, Marty Supreme is already a champion. Like a basketball team rewarding its loyal fans for sticking through the journey, the film's critical and commercial feats are a victory in their own right.
Author's Note: This review was written before the recent allegations about Josh (and Benny) Safdie came out. While these allegations are for previous works, they should be taken seriously, and the Page Six article should be read as a companion piece to this.

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