On December 25, 2025, A24 and director Josh Safdie released “Marty Surpreme,” a crime thriller set in the 1950s, following a young aspiring ping pong champion named Marty Mouser and his attempts to become the world’s greatest table tennis star. The film has gained a lot of traction online, mainly due to the lead star, Timothée Chalamet’s insane marketing stunts during the pre-release of the film, so today, let’s take a look at whether the film really holds up or is just a marketing stunt.
Firstly, the look of the film, the film is a period piece set in 1950s New York, so the film should look at if it’s set in that time period. Luckily, the film nails the aesthetic down perfectly; every character looks like they were pulled straight from the 50s, and the world around them reflects this as well. And the parts where Marty is living high in luxury, such as fancy hotels and parties, are a good contrast to where normal is the New York slums. The film really sells itself on how it looks, and in my opinion, it is one of the best-looking films in years.
The film’s score was directed by Daniel Lopatin, who is no stranger to Josh Safdie’s other work blows it out of the water by uniquely blending 1980s pop with 1950s classics for a unique feeling that helped me become engrossed with the world the film portrays. The use of 80s pop may sound strange for a 1950s period piece, but it helps the film portray Marty as if he is out of his time period, like he doesn’t belong.
Lastly, the acting, during the promotion of this film, Timothée Chalamet has been telling the media that he wants to be one of the greats and believes that he can be one of the best actors of all time, and I believe this role helps cement that. Timothée Chalamet is absolutely captivating in this film. Marty is such a bad person; everything he does is driven by ego and the desire to be loved, and he is willing to lie, scheme, and rob people to achieve this. And yet you root for Marty Mouser; he is such a compelling character, and Timothée Chalamet does an amazing job portraying him. Odessa A’zion plays the role of a tired housewife who is stuck in a loveless marriage and has an affair with Marty, and becomes pregnant with his child. Throughout the film, she is extremely sympathetic, and it is clear that she is willing to do anything for Marty, including the world of crime he is involved with. The rest of the cast does an amazing job bouncing off Marty like Wally, Marty’s best friend, played by Tyler, the creator, who helps him scam a group of people to the Mr. Rockwell, played by Kevin O’leary, whom Marty attempts to get a ride from to face in a tournament. All the actors bounce off each other extremely well, and I enjoyed everyone’s performances.
Going into this film, I believed it would be a generic sports film about someone from the slums rising to the top, but the film flips the script and becomes a story about a young man’s attempts to become one of the greats and his struggle to do so. This film is one of a kind and is really special in the world of modern Hollywood.
10/10
