Timothée Chalamet Stuns in Marty Supreme’s Wild Ping Pong Saga

Earlier this year, Timothée Chalamet made waves at the SAG Awards when he declared he was in “pursuit of greatness” in front of a crowd of his peers. For some, it was a rare moment of candor—after all, who doesn’t want to leave a mark if they’ve got the talent? That same drive pulses through Marty Mauser, the brash ping pong prodigy Chalamet brings to life in Marty Supreme. If you’ve scrolled through social media lately, you’ve probably caught glimpses of Mauser’s swagger, thanks to Chalamet’s offbeat promotional stunts. Surrounded by folks in bright orange headgear and sporting Mauser’s signature glasses, Chalamet has been hyping up his “really top-of-the-line performances” from the past several years, calling Marty Supreme in particular

“top-level shit.”

Blurring the Line Between Actor and Role

There’s a fascinating overlap between Chalamet and his character. Like Mauser, Chalamet can back up his bold claims. As America’s rising ping pong sensation, Mauser shakes up the establishment by charging pricey hotel rooms to the league and putting on a show that packs the stands. But his winning streak hits a wall when he’s defeated by a Japanese underdog wielding a new kind of paddle—a loss he’s desperate to avenge in a rematch.

While the setup might sound like a classic sports flick, Marty Supreme is anything but typical. Set in 1950s New York, the film uses ping pong as a framing device, but the heart of the story is a gritty, fast-paced drama reminiscent of the Safdie Brothers ’ most nerve-wracking work. With Josh Safdie directing solo this time, the movie follows a hustler trying to claw his way back from rock bottom, skirting the law and chasing what he believes he’s owed.

High-Stakes Schemes and Unlikely Alliances

One of Mauser’s wildest money-making schemes involves a botched attempt to blackmail a dangerous gangster—played by Bad Lieutenant director Abel Ferrara—over the return of his dog, just a day after Mauser nearly crushes them both when he and a bathtub crash through a motel ceiling. From the moment Mauser returns to the States after a humiliating world tour filled with family- friendly ping pong tricks, everything starts to unravel, sending him on a downward spiral away from his dreams.

Amid the chaos, Mauser crosses paths with faded Hollywood icon Kay Stone, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who nails a British accent. Trapped in a loveless marriage to a pen tycoon (Kevin O’Leary, oozing menace), Stone is drawn to Mauser’s unshakable confidence, even if his bravado sometimes borders on arrogance. Outside of her Marvel and Ryan Murphy roles, Paltrow hasn’t graced the screen since 2015’s Mortdecai, but in just a few scenes, she reminds viewers why she was a ’90s superstar.

Love, Loss, and the Pulse of the City

Odessa A’zion also shines as Rachel, Mauser’s unpredictable love interest. The Until Dawn actress plays a woman desperate to escape her own unhappy marriage to Ira (Emory Cohen). Rachel and Mauser are a match made in chaos—she’s just as crafty and even more determined to break free from her circumstances. In many ways, the film doubles as a hidden love story, opening with a close-up of Marty’s sperm racing to victory, all set to Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”

Chalamet trained hard to master ping pong for the role, and while the sport isn’t the film’s main focus, the matches pulse with the same energy as a Rocky or Rudy. There’s an undeniable charge running through Marty Supreme. The film’s gritty atmosphere, offbeat casting, and scenes of desperate hustlers arguing over cash echo the Safdie Brothers’ signature style. Watching Chalamet command the screen feels like witnessing a young Pacino in action. He’s not chasing greatness anymore—he’s already arrived.

Marty Supreme hits theaters December 25. For more must-see films, check out the rest of our Big Screen Spotlight series.