Already amassing 5 stars across the board from the likes of NME and The Guardian, Marty Supreme is making quite the racket a 2026’s most in-demand movie, within just a few days of a burgeoning year on the silver screen which is also set to include Christopher Nolan‘s new IMAX masterpiece ‘The Odyssey’ and a long-awaited (hopeful) return to Marvel glory, in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.
Much like the aforementioned, some films are made for the big screen, and this certainly feels like a crown prince of that category, thanks to director Josh Safdie‘s relentless pace across a frenetic 2.5 hours. For those wearing Apple Watches, FitBits, and similar, there’s a high chance your heart rate’s spike will endure a steep incline through every second of this 149-minute jamboree, such is the chaotic assault scene-upon-scene, led by Chalamet himself.
When he’s not busy kissing Zendaya, dating Kylie Jenner, or wearing a vast array of vintage football jerseys (God, it’s a tough life!), the French-American is also doffing his production cap on ‘Marty Supreme‘, working closely with writer Ronald Bronstein as an executive producer, in addition to starring as Marty Mauser himself.
It’s a showing which, according to the bookies anyway, looks set to finally land Chalamet the coveted ‘Best Actor’ award at this year’s Oscars (with odds of 1/2 compared to his closest rivals of Leonardo Di Caprio at 5/2 for ‘One Battle After Another‘ and the long-shot of Michael B. Jordan at 14/1 for ‘Sinners‘).
While ‘Marty Supreme’ itself is not the ‘perfect’ film many are falling over themselves to praise it for, Chalamet‘s own diversity – coming off his whimsical portrayal of Willy Wonka, and the brooding intensity of Paul Atreides in Dune & Dune II – is near flawless, as he crafts an obnoxious, complex, and by his own admission – narcissistic – protagonist.
In the form of Mauser, an egotistical table-tennis talent who spends much of the film trying to extract his revenge on Japanese rival Koto Endo in scenes reminiscent of the peak Federer-Nadal era, ‘Marty Supreme’ verges into ‘sports film’ territory, but soon abandons this to focus on Marty‘s personal life, which can sometimes feel confusing or unbalanced.
Unlike Stallone‘s ‘Rocky‘ series which brilliantly fleshes out the character of Balboa before building a linear finale to his battles with Creed/Drago etc, Marty Supreme can often feel jaunty as Safdie once again proves his ability to surprise an audience. The script will zig when you expect it to zag, but the cinematography and score elevate everything, creating a sense of momentum that pulls you through Marty’s noisy and disjointed conflicts.
That’s partly down to the supporting characters, including Marty’s childhood friend ‘Rachel‘ (Odessa A’zion), an entanglement which hugely complicates his life further, but ultimately leads to his redemption, and Marty‘s married lover, ‘Kay Stone‘, who – in truth – feels fairly redundant as a character. Played with finesse by Gwyneth Paltrow in her cougar era, Stone is a vixen and screen siren in the Marilyn Monroe mould, but her sporadic entwinements with Mauser never lead to a satisfactory conclusion, nor add much to the overall story.
It is, instead, her husband, Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary), who endures a more fascinating relationship with Marty, which results in one of THE iconic scenes of the 2026 cinematic world, including Chalamet‘s bum-cheeks, and.. Ironically (blessed with a jovial twist of dark humour), a table-tennis paddle.
Marty‘s charm, despite possessing several hugely unlikeable character traits, lies in the fact he feels like a real person, and that’s what makes this film great. Flawed, driven, and real, Mauser is neither a hero nor anti-hero, and Chalamet perfectly straddles the line of this high-spirited, and often dicey, character.
Ultimately, Marty Supreme is a man with purpose. He has a mission, and remains firmly locked in, no matter what. For all his manipulative tactics, a certain air of admiration must be banked for a man with such drive as he wheels and deals his way through the scrapes of his life, with his tunnel vision in-tact as he hunts down his overall aim of appearing the World Championships in Tokyo.
That clarity gives his life meaning—but not necessarily peace or happiness. The film quietly asks a question most of us spend a lifetime circling: What happens when doing what gives your life meaning makes your life harder? By the time Tears for Fears‘ iconic anthem ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ echoes around an emotional final scene, the lyrics and setting both feel fitting for Marty, and perhaps also for Chalamet, who has already amassed 5 Golden Globe and 4 BAFTA nominations.
How does Marty Supreme compare to your favourite films of 2025, and so far, 2026? Email jake@cultr.com for your thoughts on this movie, and this review!