In his solo directorial debut, Marty Supreme, Josh Safdie proves that even without his brother Benny, he is still the undisputed king of the “anxiety-induced” cinematic experience.

The film, loosely inspired by the life of table tennis legend Marty Reisman, carries the signature Safdie DNA: it is a frantic, close-up-heavy, and relentlessly loud odyssey through the 1950s underground. But while the directing is vintage Safdie, the movie’s heartbeat is a career-defining performance by Timothée Chalamet.

Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a scrappy shoe salesman turned ping-pong phenom whose ego is as sharp as his backhand. From the opening frames, Chalamet propels the action with a twitchy, live-wire intensity. Whether he’s manipulating his way into an international match or frantically pitching his signature orange ping-pong balls—designed for visibility but fueled by his desperate need for legacy—Chalamet never lets the momentum slow. He isn’t just playing a character; he is embodying a “purpose.”

This performance marks a significant pivot for the actor. As noted in Rolling Stone, Chalamet’s commitment to the role was bordering on the obsessive, mirroring the very ambition he portrays on screen.

By training for seven years and even wearing prescription-blurring contacts to better understand Mauser’s visual perspective, Chalamet demonstrates that he isn’t just on his way to becoming one of the best—he is already there.

The action of the film is like a 149-minute ping-pong match. Much like Safdie’s previous work in Uncut Gems, the camera stays uncomfortably close, capturing every bead of sweat and every flash of Mauser’s manipulative charisma. Chalamet navigates this mindset with a ferocity that turns a table tennis into something as high-stakes as a heist.

He plays Mauser with a reckless ego that makes him unlikable, yet Chalamet’s inherent vulnerability keeps us tethered to his journey. He is the storm that the rest of the cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow, must try to weather.

Marty Supreme is a loud, unapologetic celebration of American exceptionalism and the “pursuit of a dream.” It’s a movie about the weight of being great, led by an actor who seems more than ready to carry that burden.

Marty Supreme is an incredibly thrilling and exciting piece of cinema. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fast paced and intense narrative.