Marty Supreme gives Timothée Chalamet a stage to fully showcase his acting talent, delivering what may very well be the best performance of his career so far. While I’m in the minority for disliking Josh Safdie’s Uncut Gems—a film I found exhausting due to its relentlessly unlikable characters and nonstop profanity—this collaboration feels like a major step up.

Chalamet’s Marty Mauser is also an unlikable character on paper, but what makes him compelling is his obsessive determination. Marty is driven by an almost admirable need to be the very best at something completely unexpected: table tennis. That passion gives the character focus and purpose, making him far easier to invest in emotionally.

Set in 1950s New York City, Marty Supreme follows the rise of an ambitious ping-pong prodigy who will stop at nothing to prove his dominance in the sport. The film wastes no time signaling its bold tone, opening with a risky and unforgettable sequence involving an animated depiction of conception that morphs into a ping-pong ball. It’s strange, provocative, and undeniably memorable—setting the stage for the kind of audacious filmmaking that follows.

The film is fast-paced, dialogue-heavy, and intensely dramatic, with a propulsive score by Daniel Lopatin that heightens the constant sense of tension. Chalamet is given ample room to shine, as the script demands rapid-fire dialogue, emotional volatility, and sheer endurance. Watching him navigate Marty’s chaotic inner world is consistently gripping.

Written by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, the screenplay pulls the audience directly into Marty’s frenzied mindset, making us feel the pressure, desperation, and obsession driving his every decision. This is a performance-first film, and Chalamet absolutely rises to the challenge.

Marty Supreme should firmly place Timothée Chalamet in the Oscar conversation, and for me, it stands as a clear highlight of his career to date. It’s intense, stylish, and unapologetically ambitious.