His highly anticipated solo directorial effort, Marty Supreme, has premiered to immediate and overwhelming critical acclaim, currently holding a sensational 96% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This massive score solidifies the A24 film as a serious frontrunner in the 2026 awards season, cementing the film’s position as a masterpiece of chaotic, yet deeply emotional, storytelling.
The film is set for a wide theatrical release on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, a prime awards season slot typically reserved for major contenders.
Timothée Chalamet’s Career-Defining Triumph
The phenomenal critical reception also gifts star Timothée Chalamet a major milestone. With its high rating, Marty Supreme is now the second-highest rated live-action film of Chalamet’s entire career, only narrowly trailing his beloved breakout ensemble film, Lady Bird (2017), which holds a near-perfect 99%. Critics are unanimously praising Chalamet’s performance as the abrasive, relentless lead, Marty Mauser, with many calling it his most electric and immersive work to date.
The Plot: The Ping-Pong Hustler
Set in the frenetic underworld of 1950s New York City, Marty Supreme is a sprawling and electrifying sports epic loosely inspired by the life of legendary table tennis hustler Marty Reisman. Timothée Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a driven, cocky, and often abrasive ping-pong prodigy desperate to elevate the sport to greatness and achieve global recognition. The film charts Marty’s increasingly reckless schemes to raise money for a tournament abroad, which plunge him into conflicts with the city’s criminal element and a sophisticated actress, Kay (Gwyneth Paltrow). The film is a kinetic, character-driven story about the self-fulfilling prophecy of pursuing the American Dream at all costs.
With the film having also earned 6 nominations on the Critics Choice shortlist, Marty Supreme is now in a dominant position as the awards season charges into December.
Timothée Chalamet is looking at a possible Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.