New York City in the early 1950s is a backdrop few filmmakers would choose for a sports drama, but Josh Safdie saw in it the perfect setting for an audacious and wildly original film called Marty Supreme. Released on Christmas Day 2025 by A24, Marty Supreme stars Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a restless shoe salesman with an almost absurd love for table tennis and an unshakeable belief that the world should care about it as much as he does.
The story’s roots lie in the real world of mid‑century competitive ping‑pong and the life of Marty Reisman, a legendary American table tennis player whose uncanny flair and hustling audacity earned him the nickname “The Needle.” Though the film never bills itself as a strict biopic, it channels Reisman’s spirit—his ferocious skill, his gambles, and his oversized personality—into the fictional Mauser.
Set mainly in 1952 New York, Marty is introduced working under his uncle in a Lower East Side shoe store while obsessively perfecting his ping‑pong game. His dream: make a name for himself and the sport on the world stage. The narrative quickly launches him from local parlor matches into international competition, bizarre promotional tours, and dizzying personal entanglements. Along the way, he crosses paths with a fading movie star played by Gwyneth Paltrow, a wealthy businessman portrayed by Kevin O’Leary, and a range of characters whose motives sometimes align with his and often do not.
Chalamet’s performance is at once frenetic and deeply nuanced, capturing Mauser’s manic energy as well as his vulnerability. Critics have hailed it as one of the actor’s best, and the film has been recognized with several top industry accolades and awards season attention.
The supporting cast, including Odessa A’zion as Rachel—a role that demanded physical transformation—adds emotional depth to Mauser’s journey, grounding the raconteur’s eccentricities in real human stakes.
Beyond its central performance, Marty Supreme has been celebrated for its audacious screenplay, kinetic direction, and inventive celebration of an underappreciated sport. Its strong box office debut at Christmas marked a significant win for indie filmmaking in a year dominated by major franchises.
In a cinematic landscape filled with familiar sports tropes and predictable narratives, Marty Supreme stands out as an unpredictable, memorable adventure that turns paddles and balls into metaphors for ambition, identity, and the elusive pursuit of greatness.