When you look at Good Time and Uncut Gems, both of which are directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, they are films that centralize on men who are driven to reach a certain greatness, even if that means getting down and dirty, which eventually leads to their downfall. As the two brothers went their separate ways, each would continue this theme with their own respected sports biopic, both released in 2025, beginning with Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine and now with Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme.
Whereas Benny’s exploration of the MMA fighter Mark Kerr was a solid biopic where the drama felt loose but overall anchored by Dwayne Johnson’s central performance, Josh’s film is more radical with how you interpret the sports biopic. Loosely based on real-life table tennis player Marty Reisman, who is reinterpreted here as Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), an aspiring table tennis champion who is fiercely determined to be the best in the sport during the 1950s.
Despite its period setting, what sets the tone right away is that during a moment of sneaky passion between Marty and his married, childhood friend Rachel (Odessa A’zion), the 80s synth-pop track “Forever Young” by Alphaville plays in the background. What may seem like an odd choice of music, but throughout Marty Supreme‘s soundtrack which features needle drops from the 80s and the film’s own time-period – with the addition of composer Daniel Lopatin’s electronic score – the music reflects Marty’s youthful drive, even if he is in over his head.
While you can see the parallel between Robert Pattinson’s Connie from Good Time, Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner from Uncut Gems and Chalamet’s Marty Mauser as all are compelling given their awful pursuit for greatness, what makes the letter stand out is oddly his likeability. Sure, he is dickish and can pull the emotions towards anyone whenever things don’t go the way he has planned, but Chalamet balances it out with such charisma that makes you want to root for him.
The pursuit to being world champion in table tennis is essential, with the numerous matches being some of the most thrilling set-pieces in any sports movie, Safdie and his co-writer/co-editor Ronald Bronstein populate the two-and-a-half-hour running time with a variety of situations. Ranging from multiple marital affairs (including one with Gwyneth Paltrow as retired actress Kay Stone) to numerous hustles where his own life gets threatened, there is never a dull moment in Marty’s mishaps, even if it amps the tension to an anxiety-inducing degree, which is common when watching a Safdie picture.
As lived-in the entire cast looks in their respected roles, you can see that attention of detail towards the 50s setting, thanks to Jack Fisk’s exquisite production design. Safdie has always acknowledged the influence of John Cassavetes and Martin Scorsese, and that is definitely the case in how he and cinematographer Darius Khondji shoot New York as despite the period, the film’s visual language is closer to 70s American cinema, where the jittery atmosphere of gritty visuals and handheld camerawork is as raw as our flawed protagonist.
