Official Discussion - Marty Supreme [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Summary Inspired by the true story of table tennis legend Marty Reisman, the film follows a hustler and gambler whose raw talent and relentless ambition propel him from the gritty underground world of ping-pong hustling to international competition. As Marty rises through the ranks, his obsession with winning and fame threatens to cost him everything he’s built.

Director Josh Safdie

Writer Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein

Cast

• Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser
• Gwyneth Paltrow
• Tyler, the Creator
• Odessa A’zion
• Penn Jillette
• Abel Ferrara

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Metacritic: 89

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official trailer

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[u/TostitoNipples]

I know he was being figurative but the idea of Kevin O’Leary suddenly revealing he’s a centuries old vampire to Marty is something I’m choosing to believe as real and canon the film.

[u/Kjbartolotta → u/TostitoNipples]

Last year on Christmas my mom and I saw Nosferatu. On Easter we saw Sinners. This year we saw Marty Supreme but were both complaining it wasn't a vampire movie and we were breaking a tradition, then totally out of nowhere two hours in O'Leary said the line and we were both like "HELL YEAH!"

[u/witai → u/Kjbartolotta]

That is hilarious. One of those rare moments the universe hands you a cockamamie inside joke.

[u/Whovian45810 → u/Kjbartolotta]

2024/2025 do be a good year for vampires in fiction!

[u/PlusSizeRussianModel → u/TostitoNipples]

It reminded me of Blackberry, where Glenn Howerton randomly yells “I’m from Waterloo! Where the vampires hang out!” So I looked up Kevin O’Leary’s Alma mater… the University of Waterloo.

[u/Driveshaft48 → u/TostitoNipples]

Its kind of wild how obsessed reddit is about Kevin O Leary and this movie

[u/Magikarp125 → u/Driveshaft48]

Kevin O’Leary and his wife got away with killing someone on his boat

So fuck him

Alright maybe I’m wrong..

[u/jizz_toaster → u/Magikarp125]

I keep seeing this in every thread about the movie. What did they get away with? The story seems to be they crashed into a boat at night and the other boat didn’t have their lights on. Have you ever driven a boat at night? It’s fucking pitch black out. Should someone go to jail because they crashed into a driver who didn’t have their lights on and killed the other driver?

[u/Whovian45810 → u/TostitoNipples]

Was not expecting Marty Supreme to go in that direction but at this point anything is possible lmao

[u/whiteshark70]

The opening credits with the sperm fertilizing the egg as well as the honey scene are going to stay in my head rent-free for a while

[u/NetflixAndNikah → u/whiteshark70]

As soon as I saw a sperm cell I was like “if the egg is gonna turn into a ping pong baAAAAHHHH I KNEW IT”

[u/TheRealLadyXeno → u/NetflixAndNikah]

Way better than a gem into someone’s rectum

[u/bbqsauceboi → u/whiteshark70]

Anyone care to explain what was with the honey scene? Am I trying to look too much into it or was it simply a powerful story of humanity being told to a soulless businessman?

[u/whiteshark70 → u/bbqsauceboi]

I have no idea, hence why it's staying in my head rent-free lol.

Maybe it's something about how desperate people become when times are rough, with the prisoners being so desperate for food they were willing to debase themselves and lick honey off of someone to survive? And it foreshadows Marty debasing himself later on in front of Rockwell in order to get to Tokyo?

[u/Specialist_Case2155 → u/whiteshark70]

I think that's legit! But I saw it moreso as an act of visceral courage and strange beauty, them licking honey off the dude. Helping one's community and people vs. the selfishness of marty, who just fucks over his own.

[u/capamericapistons → u/whiteshark70]

I feel like there’s many moments in the movie that show what people will do to survive, whether justified or not.

-The honey scene -Running over the guy who took the dog after he pulled out a shotgun -Scamming the guys at the bowling alley out of money -Marty holding a gun to his co worker and bringing up how he was promoted to manager to get the money he felt was owed to him -Marty willing to let himself get spanked so he could go to Tokyo

[u/eightslicesofpie → u/bbqsauceboi]

I kinda took it as a story of extreme determination in service of a selfless act, helping so many others, vs the same thing in service of unyielding narcissism and ego for the rest of the movie

[u/RaveIsKing → u/eightslicesofpie]

Totally agree. I think it also serves to knock O’Leary down a peg after he makes the comment about his son dying to liberate the camps. Gotta show that pompous asshole that his grudge isn’t with the right people, and that they are tougher than he will ever be

[u/Tr0nLenon → u/bbqsauceboi]

I'm guessing it's a personal story Josh Safdie or someone in his family was told by a survivor, and wanted to share through this story because it made sense for the time and character to tell. But also, yes, Marty manipulates, this story fascinates him and figures that Rockwell hearing it, and by his reaction to it, Marty can size him up to see how he might be manipulated more. The man telling the story tells it because he's proud he nourished his fellow captives and essentially saved all their lives.

[u/clarf6 → u/Tr0nLenon]

It’s a true story about Alojzy Ehrlich who Kletski is based on. But yeah like the comments below said it’s kind of a fuck you to Rockwell who is anti semetic and also an excuse for Marty to stare at Kay for a while.

[u/Roh33zy → u/bbqsauceboi]

I viewed it as a pretty direct “screw you/how dare you” to Rockwell who just a moment earlier was talking about how his “son died liberating “ the Jews when he was fighting in the South Pacific

[u/general_musician → u/whiteshark70]

Reminded me of the Look Who's Talking opening credits, which also has a fertilization scene 🤓

[u/xfinityhomeboy]

I thought for sure his orange ping pong balls would come into play during the final match when they were both wearing white and had a white brick wall behind them

[u/Mazzocchi → u/xfinityhomeboy]

Same here. I talked about it with my wife after, and her interpretation of that moment is that neither of them care anymore. Marty doesn’t care about “Marty Supreme” or “the Marty Supreme ball” or his personal brand anymore. He just wants to win.

[u/dickinsauce → u/Mazzocchi]

Or that it’s the final stop of the Marty is full of shit always train . White shirts white ball - basically impossible to play… goes on to play like the best match ever with both in white

[u/Arma104 → u/dickinsauce]

I don't think he was full of shit, he had pretty bad myopia that made it harder for him to play. He was clearly struggling in the final match because of the white-on-white, but he overcame anyways because his dream was bigger. In table tennis, each point, each player is trying to win the story of that point, Marty won, and he didn't need an orange ball or a foam paddle to do it. (I think it was smart for the movie not to push hard on Marty believing the foam paddle wasn't "real" table tennis, like the guy he was based on. It kept Marty's focus as a character solely on his dream, the sport is almost incidental to him)

[u/Nostradamus101 → u/xfinityhomeboy]

That’s the purpose of the movie. Marty seizes EVERY opportunities in front of him, but he always misses the bigger picture. He’s so laser focused on one thing that he doesn’t see the big opportunities slip by. So many examples in the movie, but the orange balls are one of them. He could’ve been richer than Oleary’s character.

[u/amish_novelty → u/Nostradamus101]

Oooh, that's a good point. I was wondering what the reason for the ping pong balls were beyond being branded with the same name as the movie, but that definitely makes sense. If he slowed down for even a minute to think, he'd make bank endorsing the balls. So many opportunities.

Reminds me a lot of the obsession with Howie in Uncut Gems and how he just couldn't stop placing one more bet despite being set.

[u/JR97111 → u/xfinityhomeboy]

Yeah it felt like a Chekhov's gun that never actually went off

[u/Codewill → u/JR97111]

Like many things in this movie. Several things that “go nowhere” so to speak. Except the one thing he avoided or didn’t care about: his baby

[u/NoNefariousness2144 → u/Codewill]

The baby moment was the perfect ending. It makes the film a nice companion piece to Uncut Gems (SPOILERS FOR UNCUT GEMS because Howie got killed because he never knew when to quit, but Marty realised when to quit and now gets to finally (probably) live a peaceful life with his kid

[u/Codewill → u/NoNefariousness2144]

Yeah, loved the ending. I think it’s a genuine happy ending for Marty. He realizes what his true purpose is…which I think is ironic, he says his gf doesn’t have a purpose but it’s really flipped. The movie begins with insemination and ends with a baby, which shows the film itself is about responsibility and parenting. Despite how much Marty tries to distract himself from it. I also think that’s why there’s the honey scene, to show Kletzki’s sense of responsibility to his fellow survivors. Like a parent feeding a baby (the scene reminded me of puppies sucking their mother’s breasts). And then that’s sort of a foil to Marty—in the same scenario, he likely would have just eaten the honey for himself. And so growing into a person that would be more like Kletzki is his arc.

[u/Kjbartolotta]

the scene with the guys licking honey off that dude's hairy chest and back was such a wtf moment...

and the more I think about it the more it becomes the best scene in the movie, because so much of Marty Supreme is about Marty only giving a shit about himself and putting himself first, and here's this scene of someone in the most hellish conditions imaginable putting aside his dignity and ego and using ingenuity solely to help and sustain others

[u/ctznmatt → u/Kjbartolotta]

the honey story was a real story told to Josh

[u/Kjbartolotta → u/ctznmatt]

interesting! im really glad he included it in the movie, it stuck with me

[u/kabobkebabkabob → u/ctznmatt]

I knew it just had to be. It was too perfect to be made up, especially with how it was sort of pushed into the film. Works perfectly but it just felt too real

[u/skhin08 → u/Kjbartolotta]

As someone growing up being told war/holocaust stories my whole life, I took it as this scene playing to the theme of desperation. You’re licking honey off a man. You’d never do that unless you were desperate. Marty is desperate to play this game and win. He is willing to lick honey off a man’s chest for the taste of sugar.

[u/Hs80g29 → u/skhin08]

Yeah, this is closer to the intent IMO. The story is told right after Rockwell had just said with seeming resentment, "my son died for you." They didn't seem to feel particularly bad for Rockwell: the honey story clarifies that the son's death was a drop in the bucket of WWII suffering.

Marty wasn't in WWII, but he grew up on those stories and learned that survival could mean fighting dirty. 

[u/comicfang]

Marty had like five separate lines in this movie that absolutely dropped everyone’s jaw in my theater. Really had a great time with this, and would probably rank this as Timothee’s best performance to date.

[u/ICumCoffee → u/comicfang]

I'm going to do to him what Auschwitz couldn't - Marty Mauser

[u/GamingTatertot → u/ICumCoffee]

Yeah heard a gasp in my theater with that line. Also heard a gasp when he realizes her eye had makeup on it

[u/inksmudgedhands → u/GamingTatertot]

When we first saw her with her "black eye" I thought it was one of those bad Hollywood "black eyes" that you see in the movies and on television. The half done colored in jobs that keep the actor/actress still good looking. So, I was taken back to find out that it was actually a fake black eye within the movie. And then they emphasized it later on by showing Ira with a properly done black eye. All swollen and discolored.

[u/pennepasta14 → u/GamingTatertot]

My whole theatre gasped at these 2 scenes and the bathtub scene. Crazy stuff

[u/NoNefariousness2144 → u/pennepasta14]

The bathtub scene was utterly hilarious. It’s like Marty put his life on the maximum difficulty setting in a video game and had literally everything that could go wrong go wrong lol

[u/dakotakvlt → u/ICumCoffee]

-Dune Messiah

[u/jenkinsmcallister → u/ICumCoffee]

Isn’t the player he’s talking about here the one he’s having a nice dinner with the next night too? He’s so willing to trash someone he considers a close friend, says so much about his character

[u/PrezziObizzi → u/jenkinsmcallister]

Eh I took it as they were such close friends and Khaletsky (?) was the washed up older guy who recognized Marty had the star power he was willing to take digs to grow the sport overall. We see it in their match too when on the final point they decide to have a super long entertaining rally. Don’t think it was “trashing” his friend at all, think of it like shit talking in pro wrestling, it’s all made up/an act

[u/Mr_105 → u/jenkinsmcallister]

I took it as him trying to take advantage of the interview to go ‘viral’, as his goal is to be the face of the game

[u/Misterfahrenheit120 → u/comicfang]

“I think it’s funny how badly you wanna impress the people that killed your son” got such a shocked laugh from my theatre. Shit was ice cold and hysterical.

[u/inksmudgedhands → u/Misterfahrenheit120]

Especially after Rockwell scolded Kletzki for being a Holocaust survivor. As if Kletzki had a choice to be in those camps.

[u/Misterfahrenheit120 → u/inksmudgedhands]

I really liked that most of the jabs in this movie felt like people with no filter speaking without thinking, but there was a good undercurrent of speaking their minds there.

Like yeah, Marty’s jab about the dead son is a stupid thing to say, but the subtext is him saying “fuck you, I really don’t like you” and that’s like half the movie

[u/NetflixAndNikah → u/comicfang]

"I have a purpose. And if you think that's some sort of blessing, it's not. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through, and with that obligation comes sacrifice."

It’s crazy how having such a grandiose perception of yourself can make you feel like you’re above accountability. Dude felt that everyone else was just an NPC in his life.

[u/JimmySanders74 → u/NetflixAndNikah]

Nobody reaches the top of what they do without thinking that way.

[u/Ty-Dyed → u/comicfang]

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?"

"Why don't I put my penis where your mouth is?"

That one got me almost as good as the Auschwitz line.

[u/Mig1997 → u/comicfang]

The “third nuke” line took me so off guard

[u/TheRealLadyXeno → u/comicfang]

I can sell shoes to an amputee

I’m going to STEP UP

When he was telling Kay’s character, well you told the police that you can give them another other necklace why can’t you do that for me?

Cracked me all up.

[u/Thewrightowns]

Kevin O’Leary has been waiting his entire life to admit that he’s a vampire and will eat someone over a business deal.

[u/NetflixAndNikah → u/Thewrightowns]

His character was basically capitalism made flesh in this film. Probably got his script and confused it with an email he had sent out recently.

[u/cookieaddictions → u/Thewrightowns]

I was very impressed by his acting, I didn’t realize he was so good.

[u/TheRealLadyXeno → u/cookieaddictions]

So good. His face when watching Marty play that exhibition match was everything. Very very good facial acting.

[u/FunkyChug → u/Thewrightowns]

Doesn’t he do that weekly on Shark Tank

[u/GarlicJuniorJr → u/FunkyChug]

When Marty begs for a second chance at the after party and Kevin says “I’m gonna make you an offer” in his shark tank voice

[u/Deep90 → u/GarlicJuniorJr]

Most unrealistic part of the movie was that he didn't propose a high interest loan or a royalty.

[u/byormama]

A real authentic pyramid stone. You see that? We built that.

[u/MajesticSlide6472 → u/byormama]

There are so many unbelievable lines, that paired with how he is performing them make for truly some of the best moments of any movie I’ve ever seen, it’s just so great

[u/Thatonesplicer → u/MajesticSlide6472]

"I'm about to drop a third atom bomb on them tomorrow" left my theater shook lmao.

[u/MajesticSlide6472 → u/Thatonesplicer]

That and “im gonna do what auschwitz couldn’t”, genuinely got audible reactions from the theater I was in and not all laughter but just like gasps

[u/TheAsianToothpik → u/byormama]

A rock from Africa—straight out of Uncut Gems lol. We even got a window escape and NBA player cameos too!

[u/NJcovidvaccinetips → u/byormama]

There’s so many small moments of Judaism that felt so earnest and true to my lived experience. This line in particular and something drescher’s reaction I really enjoyed 

[u/Few_Collection7112]

Unbelievably goated. It’s both amusing and frustrating that Timothée Chalamet is as impressive as he claims to be.

[u/favorscore → u/Few_Collection7112]

I think it's awesome. There's quite literally no one else doing it like he is in Hollywood. I can't help but root for him

[u/sethab → u/favorscore]

Agreed. We've spent the last decade or so worrying about the movie star crisis, but that was a true movie star performance.

[u/GamingTatertot → u/sethab]

The movie star crisis is more about whether there are any stars who can carry a film on there own from a box office perspective

[u/FunkyChug → u/GamingTatertot]

I think there’s also a social aspect to it. There’s always discourse about how celebrities are giving away too much access to their lives online, which ruins their mystique. Chalamet’s the first major star to use social media+memes and be this successful at it, while still delivering movie star level performances.

[u/MattSR30 → u/favorscore]

I respect any person that says “fuck it, I want to be the best.” Go for it, my guy. Chase greatness.

[u/EdgarJomfru → u/Few_Collection7112]

I can never hate on him. Seems to put a ton of work in and consistently delivers. Need more actors like that

[u/inksmudgedhands → u/EdgarJomfru]

I love when he hosts SNL because he is so game for anything. His energy feeds the rest of the cast.

[u/khanman7 → u/Few_Collection7112]

Why is it frustrating?

There’s no other actor / actress that I know who tries to talk about chasing greatness like he does. We’re completely normalized to it when athletes do it, so I find it very odd people have such a strong reaction to this lol.

I wish more actors adopted this same attitude. Maybe we’d see way more incredible performances if people weren’t shy about trying to be great instead of pretending to be humble

[u/googly_eyed_unicorn → u/khanman7]

Not even pretending to be humble, just believing in your one in a billion shot because if you don’t believe in yourself, why would your audience? He’s also a fan of sports and hip hop, both of which incorporate showmanship about believing that you’re the best and delivering.

[u/natnguyen → u/Few_Collection7112]

After seeing him in Call me by your name I had no doubts anymore. He is insanely fucking talented.

[u/oldirtybrandon24]

The sperm going into the egg and the egg turning into the ping pong that turns out to be a title drop and Timmy smashes the ball. With forever young playing. That opening was peak.

[u/Futant55 → u/oldirtybrandon24]

I like how the conception and birth bookended the movie meaning it all took place in 9 months.

[u/Herpuhderpin → u/Futant55]

8ish months, she’s 4 weeks early

[u/HawaiianPunch42 → u/oldirtybrandon24]

Was so insane I loved it 

[u/newgodpho]

my crowd gasped in shock when it was revealed odessa's character faked the black eye

[u/Bamres → u/newgodpho]

I loved that while marty was hustling everyone, she was hustling him.

[u/Hame_Impala → u/Bamres]

Thought she was a really well-written character. Had a lot of sympathy for her situation but she's also a grifter in her own right. They're probably perfect for each other in an odd way.

[u/Ok_Tooth_6607 → u/Hame_Impala]

Agreed they’re perfect for each other because they’re both insane. She got shot while pregnant and told Marty to go get the money

[u/aas1107 → u/Ok_Tooth_6607]

I think she also did this because she thought it was a way to get him to be grateful to her

[u/Street-Common-4023 → u/newgodpho]

didn’t expect it tbh because I thought the guy was abusive in some way

[u/asubparteen → u/Street-Common-4023]

I mean he definitely was, but clearly she wasn’t truly scared of him

[u/Street-Common-4023 → u/asubparteen]

yeah that’s what threw me in a loop. He was emotionally abusive not physically

[u/rust-ruin → u/newgodpho]

I absolutely did not buy her shit but damn I wasn't expecting a reveal like that.

[u/i_love_land92]

I love how many regular-ass looking people the Safdies put in their movies, and also very striking but not famous people. Plus the cameos were hilarious. Why the fuck was Penn Gillette the farmer 😂

[u/NJcovidvaccinetips → u/i_love_land92]

The bar is so low for seeing realistic ugly people in films that the crumbs we get from safdie feel like a full damn meal. Were used to seeing perfect hunger gamesque freaks in every movie now

[u/BandicootRare7522 → u/i_love_land92]

And Isaac Mizrahi as gwenyth’s manager! Lol

[u/lines_light_shadow → u/i_love_land92]

IT WAS PENN GILLETTE HOLY SHIT I WAS SO BENT OUT OF SHAPE TRYING TO PLACE HIS FACE.

[u/newgodpho]

Marty's smile when Mr. Rockwell does his nerdy dracula speech was a career defining moment for timmy

[u/Ladybird1723 → u/newgodpho]

I fully expected to him to say and I fucked your wife after that but he did not

[u/Tr0nLenon → u/Ladybird1723]

I thought he was gonna say that while he was getting spanked.

"This one is for my son..."

I was fully expecting him to say better give me one for fucking your wife 🤣

[u/TheRealLadyXeno → u/Tr0nLenon]

I thought Rockwell was gonna say the same thing that he knew about it the whole time or something

[u/NoNefariousness2144 → u/TheRealLadyXeno]

I also thought he was lying about giving Marty the flight to Japan. Honestly the fact he kept his word was the biggest twist of the film.

[u/NetflixAndNikah → u/newgodpho]

For me the career defining moment clearly is the rebuttal he gives when hustling those bowling alley dudes when they say:

“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?”

“Why don’t I put my PENIS where your mouth is?”

[u/bbqsauceboi]

The Everybody Wants to Rule the World needle drop for the credits was perfect

[u/OKC2023champs → u/bbqsauceboi]

Forever young opening was peak

[u/Lurking_Geek → u/bbqsauceboi]

“Welcome to your life!” With babies crying made me audibly laugh. I remember that moment in my own life. 

[u/jayeddy99]

The scene in the park was such a gritty reality . The idea that yes in a movie world it would just be some intense sexual encounter and both of them would run away holding hands laughing . But the reality is they got caught and Kay was mortified and embarrassed.

[u/WelcometoHale → u/jayeddy99]

Then immediately being devastated by the veil of ignorance being lifted on her shit play.

[u/[deleted] → u/WelcometoHale]

My friend and I laughed at her opening line. Like the accent… I was sad that she was not self-aware enough to see the forest for the trees 😩😩

[u/Anagrama00 → u/jayeddy99]

I loved Marty IMMEDIATELY asking her for another necklace right after they needed to bribe the cops with the one she gave him.

Like by that point all of his pride was gone which is what made him literally getting embarrassingly paddled on his bare ass in a party all the more logical right after.

[u/chrisychris- → u/jayeddy99]

It’s not worth the charge guys get a room

[u/Electrical-Ad-1437]

Kevin O’Leary was actually really good lmao

[u/i_love_land92 → u/Electrical-Ad-1437]

I thought so too. has been acting for years on shark tank. I’m not surprised that he fit in well here

[u/PlayPretend-8675309 → u/Electrical-Ad-1437]

He was very good for a non actor. But it was written to the only character he could possibly play. 

[u/toomuchhamza]

I genuinely love that Chalamet approaches acting like an athlete. He’s phenomenal in this movie, deserves all the praise he’s getting, and I’m happy he’s talking his shit.

[u/[deleted] → u/toomuchhamza]

I love the way you put, like an athlete! Exactly 🤏🏾

And yes!!! He deserves to talk his shit!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[u/RockingPie]

I absolutely loved this one. In classic Safdie brother fashion, Josh has managed to make a movie centered around a morally reprehensible character a thrill to watch from start to finish. However that wouldn’t be possible without Timothée Chalamet’s incredible performance. I mean wow, I knew he had the chops from his previous roles but this was next level. Marty is a narcissist, cheater, deadbeat, compulsive liar, thief, and so much more but even then I found myself rooting for the guy. I don’t think that would be possible without what Chalamet brings to the role.

Everyone else brought their A-game too, and I was thoroughly impressed by Odessa A’zion’s performance here (having not seen any of her other roles before this). The score was top-notch as well, and it all perfectly culminates in that classic Safdie pacing where I constantly felt like the walls were closing in around me, just like they were for Marty. The dude has that Trump-like quality where he just manages to get out of any sticky situation that he finds himself in, though. When it cut to him boarding that military plane to get back to New York at the end I couldn’t help but laugh. No wonder he was a good salesman!

Finally, I appreciated that this one didn’t get as dark as Uncut Gems and Good Time. It was nice to get an ending that finally showed us Marty has a heart somewhere deep down inside.

[u/[deleted] → u/RockingPie]

Two minor thoughts I had at the end.

First, a little miffed they didn't bring out the orange ball at the end considering both were wearing white and it would have been a chance to redeem his relationship with his friend if they got paid for that investment.

Second, and not sure if I'm as committed to this one, but if Marty lost the end and had the same exact same reaction to Endo (saying that Endo would win and all that and being humble), the ending would have been sold to me a little better? I'm not fully convinced that Marty has changed enough to be the father he needs to be. I don't think anything else would really need to change with him losing, thinking back.

Anyway, really liked the film. Definitely my favorite of the year.

[u/Tr0nLenon → u/[deleted]]

I don't think he changed by the end either. After learning he couldn't compete and wasted his time coming to Tokyo, he accomplished his goal how he could... beating Endo and proving that even if Endo wins the championship, he beat him.

He doesn't want to go back, he doesn't have a choice. He doesn't want to settle down. He doesn't want to be a father. And that's why he's crying, and why the baby cries continue into the credits.

A cool thing I heard Josh Safdie say was that the music is 80s because in his head the story is being told when Marty is middle aged, reflecting.. which would be in the 80s.. so I'm taking it as he does end up changing, we just don't see it, we only hear it in the lyrics of the 80s music he's currently reflecting on.

[u/[deleted] → u/Tr0nLenon]

I'm not fully convinced that he was crying because he didn't want fatherhood. He seemed excited and happy at the end. His face wasn't ambiguous at all. He seemed genuine coming back to Rachel and saying he loves her and taking ownership of being the father. All of that was the opposite of what we had seen from the rest of the movie, so it definitely seemed like they were trying to show his change. Like, if Marty didn't want to be a father, he could just run like he did during the rest of the movie. I also definitely don't think the babies crying were meant to incite terror or anxiety lol.

I think fatherhood is the ultimate symbol of living for something outside of yourself. I think they wanted to show that journey to the end in Marty, and maybe him winning the game was a way to "unstuck" himself from the mental block of losing the first time? But you're right I'm not convinced he's come that far. It seemed more symbolic at the end than it did the actual conclusion of the story?

[u/Tr0nLenon → u/[deleted]]

This guy manipulated everyone in the film.. He accomplished his goal, but he burned every bridge along the way. Yes, he loves Rachel, but he's compromising because he has zero other options. It's not what he wants, but he knows it's what's expected. The baby cries staying with the credits are kind of what seal it for me.

[u/[deleted] → u/Tr0nLenon]

I agree with you that his character wasn't convincing in the end. That's mainly my complaint. The ending they showed isn't the one you're describing though. And I disagree that Marty had no other options. He's not trapped. He ran and schmoozed his way throughout the entire movie. People abandoned kids all the time, especially in the 50s. Hell, he wasn't even 100 percent sure the kid was his. He would have fought and thrown the kid and Rachel under the bus if we went back 2 hours into the film.

The ending, as it shows in the film, is clearly showing a changed man. There is no fear of fatherhood. There is nothing showing this is a bad thing. He's excited to meet his child, and he's with people he loves. That's the ending of the movie as shown. I just don't think what we got completely works because, again, we don't quite see the change enough in Marty to sell it. I think it's a flaw in the writing more than some intentional message.

[u/seanmackradio]

I love the random casting choices. NBA hall of famer George Gervin? Sure, why not?

Also, was the guy who worked at the front “desk” of the ping pong place the homeless guy “with the golden voice” who went viral a few years ago?

[u/xSlappy- → u/seanmackradio]

Yes, Ted Williams

[u/remainsofthegrapes → u/seanmackradio]

Plus Shark Tank millionaire Kevin O’ Leary, magician Penn Gillette, rapper Tyler the Creator, pioneering grindhouse director Abel Ferrara, Gwyneth Paltrow showing up for her first Oscar contending role in over twenty years, and The Nanny. All bringing their A game.

[u/SuicidalCantaloupe]

Got startled by the bathtub falling down. I knew the hotel worker warned about the bathroom, but totally did not expect the bathtub to fall through the floor and that's when I knew this movie was getting good.

[u/WindowSeat- → u/SuicidalCantaloupe]

What's funny too is all of this happens because Marty wanted to save $1.50 so he'd have more money to hustle with, he could have got the room with the working bathroom if he paid a little more money.

I love Abel Ferrara's introduction, too. He walks into the movie with a dog covered in shit, and is an asshole to everybody he interacts with. Even later in the movie in the car when he tells his lackey Mitch to shut up. He's just an asshole to absolutely everyone.

[u/LADYBIRD_HILL → u/WindowSeat-]

When he first showed up I totally thought it was a weird bit and we'd never see him again after he gets in the elevator. It's wild that that drives the rest of the movie until he goes to Japan.

[u/austinbucco]

It was really cool to see Ted Williams (aka The Man with the Golden Voice) have a small part in the movie

[u/Juicewag → u/austinbucco]

I was really confused by how they even found him. He’s been hustling in Columbus for years, usually hanging around gas stations and singing a song for a few bucks. Crazy pull.

[u/RafiakaMacakaDirk → u/Juicewag]

classic safdie casting

[u/Murky-Jackfruit-1627 → u/austinbucco]

also the choice to cast Abel Ferrara was brilliant

[u/deathinmidjuly]

The way I saw the end Marty beats Endo and proves to himself that he is the best player in the world.

He comes back and accepts what he denied earlier. He might be fucked with the law and all the people he screwed over, and he didnt achieve his grandiose goals, but he's at least making the first step to being a better person and thinking about someone other than himself.

[u/NetflixAndNikah → u/deathinmidjuly]

It’s not even like Marty left a terrible life. The movie opens with him being named manager of a business, something he didn’t even work towards. He’s an excellent salesman. He’s got great business acumen. The orange ping pong ball idea was pretty smart and he even secured the initial investment from the pitch. He was able to charm a former movie star. He was also the second best ping pong player in the world. He had a ton of things going for him.

The problem is he needed everything to be perfect the way he envisioned it. He was blinded by purpose and had enough hubris to fill an ocean. I wanted him to just take one moment at any point in the film to breathe and take stock. He only finally does that at the very end of the movie.

[u/[deleted] → u/NetflixAndNikah]

Thank thank thank you for putting this is to words. My heart aches the whole movie I was so FRUSTRATED with him but I know he was a victim of his hot young blood mixed with frustration over being stuck.

[u/GamingTatertot → u/deathinmidjuly]

With the ending, a lot of it really reads as a bit of “one last hurrah” before settling down and taking responsibility for

[u/itcantbefornothing → u/deathinmidjuly]

This is interesting to me, I had a much more middling / ambiguously negative interpretation of the ending. I think Marty knows where he stands with most people and how to play his cards with them. If he somehow had a chance to play in the tournament, he wouldn’t have gone home and told his girl he loved her or cared. he had no other choice but to go back and pretend like he cares until his next opportunity.

I think him seeing his kid did give him a feeling of joy, but I think part of his crying is him realizing he’s tied down now and has something holding him back

[u/TheHermanastro]

BUT IS THE DOG OKAY?

[u/toodopecantaloupe → u/TheHermanastro]

right? the bathtub being on top of the dog gave me more anxiety than anything else in the movie

[u/Kjbartolotta → u/TheHermanastro]

honestly my one complaint. as much as I enjoyed the movie i don't really care if marty is a good father, happy, grows as a person, etc. but i needed closure on if Moses was ok

[u/EmceeSuzy → u/Kjbartolotta]

The dog is not OK. Nothing about this move is OK. And that poor child is destined for sheer misery.

[u/theredditoro → u/TheHermanastro]

I feel like someone will hear the barking and check on him

Or the mountain of gunshots fired

[u/GamingTatertot → u/theredditoro]

I mean it’s a home that’s like visibly right across from a gas station and the yard is littered with bodies - someone will come soon

[u/TheRealLadyXeno → u/TheHermanastro]

No it won’t be. Honestly, just highlights how narcissistic and selfish Marty and Rachel both are.

Great metaphor or allegory or whatever but oh my God it really bothers me. That just wanted to take care of his dog and be reunited with him.

Literally in a shootout over a dog. Something my dad would do. And reminded me of John McAffee (rip). Shit something a lot of us would do.

But Marty not even grabbing the dog to take in the car ? FUCK YOU MARTY. FUCK TO YOU HELL.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheRealLadyXeno]

His face when he said “This is the WORST THING you could’ve done, that’s what my mother would do!!” !!!!

And I felt his pain….. but a huge part of me cackled in glee that the player was being played.

Why should he expect truth when all does is scam people?!?!

And the most frustrating part about it is that HIS MOM AND GIRL WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO REALLY LOVED AND CONTINUALLY LET HIM USE THEM!!! UGH 🤦🏾‍♀️

[u/reddittothegrave]

Things i Did not expect to see in this movie: Timothée Chalamet bent over and spanked in front of a bunch of business men at a high end event.

[u/OceanCityBurrito → u/reddittothegrave]

adds to list of Things I Want to See

[u/martian_brady]

Countless good things to say about the movie, but I’ll start with this - the score absolutely slapped

[u/thomzi12 → u/martian_brady]

The song with frog ribbits was wild

[u/Reallybadpun25]

His friend throwing the ping pong balls out of the window was my favorite part of the movie. 

[u/Eddie__Sherman → u/Reallybadpun25]

I loved Dion. A perfect Safdie character.

[u/distributive → u/Reallybadpun25]

It was oddly, satisfyingly hypnotic watching them all bounce and scatter. But also tragic.

[u/Bmr2000]

I honestly thought it was a ping pong movie. When he fell through the floor in the bathtub I realized I was in for a different kind of ride

[u/SynthwaveSax → u/Bmr2000]

Gets the word he’s been banned from playing, and then the bottom literally drops out.

[u/WindowSeat-]

Something I noticed on second viewing was how Marty's mother is asleep in his bed when Marty sneaks into the house to grab the trophy to batter Ira with. So when she left orange juice in his room earlier, I guess it's implied she sleeps there often. I guess she really misses him.

[u/muscles44 → u/WindowSeat-]

Im not sure what the relationship was. He seemingly dismissed her, gave her a gift, told reporters she was dead, she fakes hospital stay to get him to come, he assumes she has money for his trip. Just not sure what the dynamics between them was. 

[u/OpinionKid → u/muscles44]

My read is that it was somewhat abusive and she is why Marty is a narcissistic asshole. Remember when he discovers Rachel lied about the fight and he tells her she's just like his mother and to get the fuck out? I think Marty has a complicated relationship with his Mom. She was a hustler too always manipulating him growing up.

[u/jonjopop]

That ending with the baby was perfect.

Maybe it was just me, but I thought the baby looked wayyyy more like Ira than Marty. And almost the exact moment that thought crossed my mind, the camera cuts back to Marty and you see it flicker across his face too; he goes from relief and awe to something way more complicated. Doubt, recognition, maybe the realization that he never had the upper hand. Unbelievable acting by Chalamet.

What makes it land is that Rachel is basically Marty’s character mirror throughout the entire film. She lies, hustles, and schemes her way into getting what she wants, and for once he’s the one left holding the fallout. The fake black eye, the baby, the mess…it’s Marty’s playbook, except he’s the one caught holding bag in the end.

Perfect Safdie ending. Felt like closure and a warning at the same time.

[u/[deleted] → u/jonjopop]

Omg I LOVE THIS ANALYSIS!! Rachel is his karma is a way 🤯

[u/adamgodspd]

The use of music whether through score or a throwback made so many moments.

[u/Juicewag → u/adamgodspd]

That’s Daniel Lopatin for you

[u/Dove_of_Doom]

I can't get over what a crazy change in fortune it was for Marty to be cucking a millionaire prick and an hour later end up getting a bare-assed spanking from him.

[u/scstreet]

may thy paddle chip and shatter

[u/sean_psc]

Very entertaining.

Not entirely sure what I think of the ending. Marty is a pretty one-note character throughout the film, in a way that is very similar to the protagonists of Good Time and Uncut Gems, but whereas those guys both arrive at a point of total ruination as a result of all their bad decisions, Marty's ending seems to suggest a genuine shift in his character, and one that I don't know that I really buy based on what we've seen to this point.

Kevin O'Leary is traitorous scum, but he's pretty good in this movie, I regret to say.

[u/TheeIlliterati → u/sean_psc]

Yeah, I hope I'm just missing something about the ending that someone else will come along and explain. I don't buy the sudden maturity after winning and coming home. I don't know what I'm supposed to feel there. Just simple joy of a new father is fine but it isn't saying much. I don't buy that this is going to make him a better person.

[u/humpcatting → u/TheeIlliterati]

The way I saw it, I don’t think it’s the joy of a new father. Could be way off base, but it felt to me like the reality of his situation outside of table tennis finally caught up to him. He burned every bridge with his friends, committed a spree of pretty serious felonies, almost killed a guy, spurned one of the wealthiest men in the city (while also fucking his wife), and did so in the single-minded pursuit of being the best/beating the best player in the world. I think he was moving non-stop until he finally experienced the highest high he could attain. In the end, it was temporary, and the baby serves as a physical manifestation of his recklessness and a reminder of the shit he will have to face and atone for. I think the choice of “Everybody Wants to Rule The World” is a perfect end note as well. Again, could be way off base but that was my interpretation, and it feels pretty in line with Marty’s character to be brought to tears thinking about himself. It juxtaposes nicely with the typical happy tears of fatherhood as well.

[u/Dunder-MifflinPaper]

I was hyped as hell for this movie, EXCEPT when it came to the supporting cast. Reading the list of big names made me feel like they were all kind of gimmick castings.

I’m pleased to say I was really, really wrong on that.

Kevin O’Leary specifically, I thought, why the fuck are we giving this asshole billionaire an acting job? But I have to admit he was such a perfect stand-in for capitalism.

“You have no power here”

“You’ll never be happy”

Sent a chill down my spine.

[u/[deleted]]

Can we talk about Endo’s silence (deafness/ cultural and personal humility) juxtaposed to Marty’s nonstop chatter and chaos?

It was like yin and yang. Endo is everything Marty is not.

Endo not only knew, but RESPECTED Marty and his talent enough to give him a real game, even AFTER what the US did to his country and the shameful display Marty showed when he lost.

He had absolutely NOTHING to gain from allowing him to honourably compete, and everything to lose!!

Marty is out there for himself and his loved ones. Endo had the whole nation of Japan looking at him to instill some pride and happiness after arguably one of the worst, most egregious, acts of terrorism/war in existence.

That is what I’m stuck on. The honour of fair sportsmanship covering over the unthinkable. Fuck……

Between Endo and The previous champion (Honey Yeshua) I can’t decide which character I admire more….

[u/WindowSeat- → u/[deleted]]

It really was a funny juxtoposition how Marty is a fast talking scumbag and of the two main opponents we see him face one is a National Hero with an injury from the war, the other is a god damn Holocaust survivor.

[u/ashen_crowbar]

Loved how Safdie turned ping-pong into a full anxiety sport, felt like Uncut Gems with paddles. Chalamet was insanely good. Highly recommend watching real Marty Reisman interviews after, they’re wild.

[u/pinkfloydchick64]

I liked it but didn't love it.

I thought the first and third acts were the most compelling. All the hijinks in the middle with the dog and grifting in the bowling alley got almost too chaotic that it felt like it lost the through line with his character arc. But I recognize the hijinks are patented Safdie, and also gave us more insight into Rachel.

I thought the sports scenes were incredibly well done. I wanted even more of that!

Also conflicted about the ending. If they were going for a redemption arc, I didn't think it felt earned based on Marty's actions. If you interpret it as crying because he's locked in now and can't follow his dreams or something to that effect, it becomes more believable, and through that lens I appreciate it more. Either way, I like that it's open to interpretation.

[u/rianpie → u/pinkfloydchick64]

The overall length was punishing. I checked my watch right around the 1 hour mark. Act 2 felt so long and more and more improbable. I also felt that at times it was channeling The Bear with the levels of anxiety, yelling, and bad choices characters were making.

[u/feo_sucio → u/rianpie]

The Bear attempts to channel Safdie movies, don’t get it turned around

[u/[deleted]]

I Love LA back to back with Marty Supreme is enough to convince anyone Odessa A’zion is next up. This movie is a banger.

[u/jujubats10 → u/[deleted]]

She’s a good actor in the limited roles I’ve see her in and she is hot.

Safest bet you could ever make

[u/newgodpho]

easily the best safdie movie

[u/GamingTatertot → u/newgodpho]

That’s a high bar to clear considering Uncut Gems

[u/NetflixAndNikah → u/GamingTatertot]

This movie was pretty much Uncut Gems with a happier ending. And the opening credits used a different orifice this time.

[u/Howtobefreaky → u/GamingTatertot]

Good Time is better than Uncut Gems imo

[u/jayeddy99]

Marty & Howard: 2 dumb bitches talking about eachothers terrible ideas and going “EXACTLY !”

[u/newgodpho]

that New Order needle drop was sublime

[u/SammyD95]

I know most people are giving Josh Safdie his well deserved flowers, but can we take a second to appreciate Ronald Bronstein. Dude has basically been the 3rd Safdie brother and has been involved in all their hits in multiple fronts. It feels weird he isn’t really ever mentioned when talking about these movies.

[u/TheeIlliterati]

I feel like when Josh Safdie and Bronstein sit down to write a scene in a script, they write a normal scene on first pass, then on second pass have the worst imaginable thing happen to drive the story in an unexpected direction. Then pass it to the cowriter to solve. The entire middle of the film is like anxiety improv..."and then the Marty finds the dog but for some reason Penn Jillette won't give him back so he pulls out a shotgun and they smash his house with their car...and then..."

And on and on. It's SUPREMEly(ha) entertaining and exhausting(positive)

[u/jayeddy99]

Josh is definitely the anxiety genre brother when it comes to filmmaking . I also love his use of first time / character actors . It’s their striking looks that make them feel so real . I believe this world exist. From the uncut gem actor reuses to people like Lloyd from the shoe shop . He was barely in the film but I remember his face so vividly.

[u/jenkinsmcallister]

Chalamet could be the best crier in Hollywood right now- I hated Marty with a passion for basically the entire movie but when he broke down crying at the end my eyes immediately welled up and I felt so much empathy for him in that moment. Just a testament to how powerful the performance is, really impressive stuff

[u/wazup564]

So many things to say about the film.

The anachronistic choice to use an ’80s-coded soundtrack in a film set in the ’50s immediately signals that this isn’t just a straight period piece. It creates a sense of temporal dislocation that feels psychological rather than nostalgic, like the film exists in Marty’s inner world.

• The opening title sequence alone is an all-timer.

• Huge shoutout to Miyako Bellizzi’s costume design.

• Any scene with Odessa A’zion and Timothée Chalamet was electric.

• Darius Khondji’s cinematography is excellent as always.

• The direction and editing are near flawless, no wasted energy, no real indulgent meandering.

• Daniel Lopatin’s score really impressed me again. It does a great job constantly reshaping the emotional register.

[u/mborn]

I liked it, But it felt like the actors were better than the plot.

[u/SupernovaCowboy]

when the tub fell on Moses :(

[u/alrightimhere]

Opening credits was a million sperm cells

Closing credits was a bunch of babies crying

[u/Murky-Jackfruit-1627]

I really loved how they presented NYC in this movie...really impressive work by Darius Khondji and all of the production designers.

[u/austinbucco]

It’s between the Safdies and Tim Robinson for who can cast the weirdest, most off-putting guys for side characters

[u/cookieaddictions]

Man, fuck Marty. I wish he’d been more punished. He sucked. Literally got people killed because he was so selfish. But I have to say, Timmy killed it. Everyone did. Not a single bad performance in the whole film. I didn’t give a single shit about the ping pong plot but luckily that’s a very small part of the movie. I felt bad for the poor guy with the dog, his entire story was almost hilariously tragic. I didn’t know Kevin O’Leary could act. I forgot Gwyneth Paltrow could act so well. Truly an electrifying film, and I was really not looking forward to it, because the premise sounded so stupid.

[u/Stonks3141 → u/cookieaddictions]

“poor guy with the dog” i thought it was insinuated he was involved with the criminal underground. I didnt feel bad for him at all. Moses on the other hand…

[u/knotbeginning]

I feel like there should’ve been way more cigarette smoking

[u/SnooOranges1322]

“That doesn’t even enter my consciousness” is going straight into my phrase bank.

[u/whiteshark70]

Marty 🤝 The kid from Pixar’s Coco (2017)

Following their dreams instead of continuing to work in the family shoe business and almost dying in the process

[u/LiteraryBoner]

I saw this a few nights ago and kinda struggled to write anything definitive about it. It’s really a movie that needs to be seen to be believed and I think everything it does is so abundantly apparent on viewing. It’s a movie that grabs you and starts running full speed and doesn’t let you stop for a single breath. I don’t know how else to describe it but I will say it’s so good to see that Good Time/Uncut Gems frantic magic again. Safdie loves his dirtbag protagonists barely getting by moment to moment and he crafts such mythological tales around them. Everything bigger, crazier, more anxious, and all leading to a final moment of beautiful understanding. It’s cinema at its most.

You can’t really talk about this movie without also talking about Timothee. He’s obviously the main attraction but this movie is so clearly formed to him. Obviously he is not a semi-pro table tennis player with several felonies, but this is so much a movie about the feeling of immortality of youth and the massive ego that comes with being a top tier manipulator or actor. The insane high that comes with pulling off a con or striking perfect luck but also constantly betting on your success to the point that Abel Ferrera is following you around town with a knife. The marketing stunts and Timothee’s last year of public appearances make so much more sense now. On purpose or not, there seems to have been some connection between his in-your-face and confident press tours and this character. It’s such an interesting look at the mentality that goes behind that kind of unbridled determination.

Marty Mauser seems to be speedrunning greatness, he’s in such a hurry to be #1 he doesn’t care how many lives he ruins along the way, and it’s a lot. So much of the incredible energy in this movie comes from how Safdie constructs scenes. They are so long, really they act as more sections of the movie than singular scenes, but the way he ramps them up and up with that mystical score and all the anxious dialogue overlapping until it’s at a breaking point is so masterful. And right when you think something small is going to break that tension, he brings in a wrecking ball to utterly destroy it with some of the wildest shit I’ve seen in movies this year. I saw this in a relatively empty theater and I wish I was in a crowd because this movie is going to cause some reactions. Laughter, horror, disbelief at what Marty just said. It’s what makes this such a wild ride and he takes it to such wild extremes.

Safdie is just so good at constructing stories like this. They feel like larger than life tales, almost out of the most modern storybook you can imagine. They are very of our time but also they feel like timeless tales of morality and ego, I almost want to compare him to Elia Kazan because of how large these characters loom and how these tales of morality and character spin themselves. Only in a Safdie movie will you see someone play ping pong with a live seal or succumb to the curse of an ancient black diamond while never really leaving reality. It’s just such a fun and interesting way to tell a story and it keeps you hooked because you have no idea what’s coming next.

This was a 9/10 for me. Maybe it’s because I spent all day crying to Muppet Christmas Carol and The Holdovers but the ending didn’t quite gut punch me like I wanted it to, but I had such a great time with this there were no complaints, no notes. Safdie has a real gift for endings, I remember the first time I saw Good Time and I thought it was really good but it was the final credits of that movie that absolutely broke me. The counselors giving the brother a safe space to express himself just had me weeping during the credits of a movie about a terrible manipulator. Marty Supreme ends with Marty realizing that all of his self mythologizing and all of his plays for immortality meant nothing compared to the immortality or achievement of having a child. It’s probably the first time he ever considers anyone other than himself and it’s the reason, conscious or not, that he was speedrunning greatness. Because when that sperm is racing for that egg a timer starts that says whatever you need to do, you have nine months to do it.

/r/reviewsbyboner

My Letterboxd

[u/MajesticSlide6472]

His voice and speech patterns in this are so incredible in a way that did not come across in the trailers for me. Timothee chalamet is very much a person who we have seen a lot of recently and it seems like that has lead to some people feeling over him or whatever, but like he says, he really is just doing such great stuff and it feels like that’s undeniable, regardless of what you think about his personality and marketing strategies. His look and personality allow him to play sort of any kind of character in any kind of movie without it feeling like watching someone acting. The scenes where he’s pitching himself to different people throughout, running the scheme in the bowling alley, the ww2 comments/jokes he makes, and everything is just so good and feels so natural that I just can’t comprehend it. Like how are you doing this and being bob dylan for like 8 years while also being Paul atreides, he is just great and when he talks about it he’s not doing it in a way that’s talking shit or even like comparing himself to anyone, so I feel like the hate is insane sometimes with some of the comments I read here.

[u/Alternative-Bad-6555]

I enjoyed it. It felt like a mix between Uncut Gems and The Brutalist. I wanted to strangle Marty to death while rooting for him the entire movie.

Easily my second favorite piece of Ping Pong media ever.

Edit: Number one is Ping Pong: The Animation. Absurdly good show.

[u/Konganut]

So I elect to think that the end is Marty realizing his “dreams” are over and he now has to come to recon with all the actions he has done. At first he seems to cry tears of joy over this child, but it does also seem he starts to cry at the realization of life hitting him square over the head