‘Marty Supreme’ Stuns NYFF: Timothée Chalamet Delivers Career-Best Turn in Josh Safdie’s Dazzling Ping-Pong Spectacle

Timothée Chalamet’s highly anticipated film Marty Supreme made its surprise world premiere at the New York Film Festival, and the first reactions have been overwhelmingly positive.

Critics are calling Josh Safdie’s latest directorial effort an “awe-inspiring cinematic tour-de-force,” with many describing Chalamet’s performance as his best yet.

The film, directed by Josh Safdie, one half of the visionary filmmaking duo behind Uncut Gems and Good Time, marks his first solo project without brother Benny Safdie. Marty Supreme stars Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a ping-pong prodigy whose journey to greatness takes him through intense emotional and physical challenges as he competes for international glory.

Variety’s co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh praised the movie on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “Uncut Gems meets The Catcher in the Rye meets Jerry Maguire,” and dubbing it Chalamet’s “best performance yet.” He added, “I loved it so much,” signaling that the Safdie-Chalamet collaboration is already resonating deeply with film enthusiasts.

Discussing Film chairman Diego Andaluz echoed similar sentiments, hailing the movie as Safdie’s “best film yet.” In his enthusiastic post, Andaluz described Marty Supreme as “a kinetic odyssey that plays like a deranged cross between Catch Me If You Can and Uncut Gems. Timothée Chalamet delivers the performance of a lifetime in this unforgettable, awe-inspiring cinematic tour-de-force that fires on all cylinders.”

David Canfield, senior writer at The Hollywood Reporter, joined the chorus of praise, calling Marty Supreme “major, exhilarating filmmaking.” He described Chalamet’s portrayal of Marty Mauser as a “career-best performance,” adding that the young actor “was born to play this guy.” Canfield also applauded the supporting cast, calling Odessa A’zion “tremendous” and the ensemble “superb.”

Entertainment journalist David Crow also raved about the film, writing, “Marty Supreme is an absolute blast of adrenaline and the follow-up to Uncut Gems we’ve been craving. Just as demented and tense, but drunk on the confidence of youth and the arrogance to believe that talent and charm is enough. As a piece of cinema, it sure as hell is.”

The supporting cast features a fascinating mix of Hollywood veterans and pop culture figures, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler, The Creator, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher. The film’s official synopsis from A24 teases a gripping journey: “Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.”

Marty Supreme is also notable for being one of A24’s biggest original productions to date, both in scale and budget. The studio, known for critically acclaimed hits like Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Whale, is banking on Marty Supreme to be a major theatrical event this holiday season.

The film has already generated headlines long before its premiere, thanks to on-set photos of Chalamet and Paltrow filming an intimate scene that quickly went viral. Paltrow later discussed the film’s steamy content in an interview with Vanity Fair, revealing that her character shares “a lot of sex” scenes with Chalamet’s. She explained that during production, she and Chalamet felt comfortable enough to ask the intimacy coordinator to “step back a little.” “We said, ‘I think we’re good. You can step a little bit back,’” Paltrow shared. “I don’t know how it is for kids who are starting out, but…if someone is like, ‘Okay, and then he’s going to put his hand here,’ I would feel, as an artist, very stifled by that.”

Safdie’s latest venture appears to channel the same frenetic energy and psychological depth that made Uncut Gems a critical and commercial hit, but this time with a more youthful and sports-driven edge. Early viewers are already calling it an instant classic, a mix of anxiety, adrenaline, and artistry that pushes both Chalamet and Safdie to new creative heights.

A24 will release Marty Supreme in theaters nationwide on December 25, positioning it as a major Christmas Day release and a potential awards-season contender.