The awards-season film Marty Supreme arrives in UK cinemas today, bringing with it a whirlwind of critical acclaim and controversy centred on Timothée Chalamet's portrayal of one of cinema's most deliberately offensive characters.
A Chaotic Ride Beyond the Standard Biopic
Directed and co-written by Josh Safdie, the film is a white-knuckle ride through a few months in the life of aspiring table tennis champion Marty Mauser. Loosely based on US player Marty Reisman, the narrative moves at breakneck speed, immediately establishing that this is far from a conventional sports biography. The sheer, mind-boggling energy of the film is a force of nature, but it is Chalamet's uncompromising performance that truly defines it. The actor has already secured his fifth Golden Globe nomination for the role, with many now predicting an Oscar nod.
The character, a self-proclaimed Susan Boyle superfan whose name is emblazoned on his customised ping-pong balls, is so driven to become world champion that he steamrolls over everyone in his path. He lies, steals from loved ones, uses people relentlessly, and his actions several times nearly result in fatal consequences—even for the woman carrying his child. Yet, it is his verbally offensive remarks that provoke the sharpest intakes of breath.
Where Does the Film Draw the Line?
The film is set in 1952, a mere few years after the Holocaust and World War Two. In one particularly shocking scene, ahead of a match against a Jewish former champion and friend, Bela Kletzki (Géza Röhrig), Marty declares: ‘I’m going to do to him what Auschwitz couldn’t – I’m going to finish the job.’ He later justifies the comment by claiming his own Jewish heritage permits it.
In another, while boasting about facing Japanese world champion Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), he tells a man who just revealed his son was killed in the Pacific theatre: ‘If it’s any consolation, I’ll be dropping a third nuclear bomb on Japan.’ The film forces audiences to grapple with these lines, questioning whether dark humour can ever excuse such callousness.
This offensive behaviour exists in the realm of day-to-day cruelty rather than depicting a historical monster or racist caricature. It makes Marty a uniquely modern kind of cinematic anti-hero: a massive arsehole whose sheer audacity you might secretly admire, even as you recoil from his reprehensible actions.
Chalamet's Pursuit of Greatness
With a relatively loose storyline, Marty Supreme leans heavily on Chalamet's exhaustingly good, committed performance. The actor prepared for years, practising on a portable table tennis table on the sets of Wonka and Dune: Part Two, and even taking it to the Cannes Film Festival.
This dedication mirrors the character's own obsessive pursuit of greatness—a theme Chalamet himself echoed when accepting a SAG Award earlier in 2025, stating his desire to be counted among the acting greats. His recent, somewhat 'Marty'-esque promotional comments, where he boldly claimed this was his best performance after years of top-tier work, now feel like part of a long-game strategy for awards recognition.
The film, which carries a 15 age rating and runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes, also features a supporting cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, and Fran Drescher. It was released in the US on Christmas Day and debuts in the UK on Friday, December 26, 2025.
Ultimately, Marty Supreme is a film that refuses to let its audience off easily. It presents a character so brilliantly realised by Timothée Chalamet that you cannot look away, ensuring the film—and its profoundly offensive central figure—will be debated long after the credits roll.
