The Stream: A long movie that could have used some more editing.

The Big Screen: Chalamet giving a “supreme” performance.

The Final Bill: Chalamet’s outsized performance keeps this long movie chugging along.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Josh Safdie
Writers: Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein
Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Odessa A’zion, Tyler the Creator, Fran Drescher, Kevin O’Leary, Gwyneth Paltrow
Genre: Drama, Sport
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content, some violent content/bloody images and nudity.
Runtime: 2 hours 26 minutes
Production Companies: A24, Central Pictures, IPR.VC
Platform: In theaters December 25, 2025
Notable Trailers: Digger, Disclosure Day, The Drama, How to Make a Killing

What’s up, Streamers! We’re still playing catch up on the glut of Christmas releases. Luckily, a number of these movies have Oscar aspirations which keep them relevant through January like Josh Safdie’s sports drama, Marty Supreme. In Marty Supreme, Timothee Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a professional table tennis player, who dreams of greatness and is singularly focused on proving himself at all costs. The movie follows Marty as he hustles for the money that will get him to an international table tennis tournament. Anxiety-inducing dog wrangling and ping pong hijinks ensue.

Marty Supreme could have been a simple sports biopic, but Josh Safdie has directed this story to be more about unchecked ambition in a man rather than about the sport itself. In that way, Safdie’s angle makes this movie intriguing, and the energy infused in telling this story feels a lot like the other movies by Josh and his brother, Benny, like Uncut Gems and Good Time. The plot of Marty Supreme can be a little repetitive and coincidental, so the 2 and half hour runtime is a bit much for the story being told. There are few too many tangents that seem to reiterate the same theme over and over again. This movie could have lost 10-15 minutes without affecting its overall impact despite it being otherwise kinetic and engaging.

Obviously, Chalamet is a big draw for this movie. He is electric as Marty. He is unlikeable and annoying as you’d expect from a guy who is this arrogant and self-centered. Chalamet really committed to this character and the movie is better for it. Aside from that, the rest of the cast has some interesting characters. I didn’t even recognize Tyler the Creator, but he’s awesome in a small part. The production elements are great as well, especially the propulsive score and all the interesting music choices.

Ultimately, Marty Supreme is a strong sports drama, but it really exists to be a showcase for Chalamet. The movie is interesting and unexpected for a sports movie. It could use a good edit because it is too long and a little repetitive. Moreover, the characters are not sympathetic so some may get tired and check out after a while. If you’re a Chalamet or Safdie fan, you’ll want to catch this on the big screen. For the rest of those, it’s still a good movie that you won’t be disappointed you saw, so grab a bowl of popcorn.