Marty Supreme’s marketing campaign leaned heavily on Timothée Chalamet’s star power, generating countless memes but surprisingly little substantive discussion about the film itself upon release.
I caught this blind on a free Vue ticket, expecting typical A24 fare. What I got was a character study that, loosely based on table tennis legend Marty Reisman’s life, paints its protagonist in deliberately unflattering strokes. Marty Mauser is a narcissistic swindler singularly obsessed with becoming table tennis champion—willing to sacrifice friends, relationships, and personal integrity in pursuit of that goal. The film suggests he’s incapable of genuine happiness regardless of achievement, trapped in perpetual dissatisfaction.
Chalamet delivers a compelling performance, but Daniel Lopatin’s (Oneohtrix Point Never) soundtrack deserves equal praise. The ‘80s-inflected synth textures and unsettling drones provide crucial atmospheric support, elevating key scenes beyond their surface tension.