We love bad guys. Nobody who watched “Breaking Bad” wanted Walter White to get arrested, despite the laundry list of terrible things he does. We disregard the fact that Walter White is the protagonist, not a hero, because we’re invested.
The villain obsession runs deep in our culture, but why do we root for them? How could anyone bring us over to their side, even when their misdeeds are presented so flatly?
The fascination with character usually comes from an old theatrical tradition of living vicariously: by imprinting yourself on the character, your pursuits and dreams are like their epic journey.
“Marty Supreme” was released on Christmas Day, 2025, directed by Josh Safdie and written by him and Ronald Bronstein. The film stars Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a table tennis star of the 1950s who comes from humble New York City roots. He aims to prove himself to be the greatest table tennis player in the world, his purpose on this earth, as he puts it.
All while his actions end up affecting the lives of the supporting cast played by Odessa A’Zion, Tyler The Creator (Tyler Okonma), Gwenyth Paltrow and Kevin O’Leary.
Marty Mauser is, at his core, driven. It’s not a new archetype, the man who’s willing to do anything. Usually an action hero will go to extreme lengths to save the day. While that’s easy to root for, “Marty Supreme” makes you empathize with one man’s greed and selfishness.
The many times in which Marty steps over others, the people who have been there for him for years, are hard to watch. Despite the film not portraying them in a good light, there is something inherently human about his experiences.
Those on the receiving end of Marty’s schemes aren’t flat or easily disregarded characters. Very often he leads along the same people and very rarely do these characters get portrayed as selfish themselves. That just makes the film’s job harder.
It’s harder to keep the audience along for the ride when good people are hurt by bad people without facing consequences. Safdie and Bronstein knew this and in response made great consequences, great challenges and daring odds that keep your eyes glued to the screen throughout the course of the film.
His selfishness is conspicuous, but so are his shame and fear. Marty projects his own insecurities onto others. Marty spends the bulk of the film trying to get to the Table Tennis World Championship in Tokyo, Japan.
However, there are a host of characters along the way whom he ropes into a long series of schemes. Those that work, those that fail and some that succeed for a moment only to corkscrew into a direction you never thought possible.
This is the real appeal of the movie. Marty’s journey is the opposite end of predictable. I don’t make a habit of trying to outsmart a film I’m watching, but if I attempted such a thing here, I would’ve been sorely mistaken every single time.
Will Chalamet get Best Actor at this year’s Oscars? The character of Marty Mauser could have been played as any Jordan Belfort or some suave Ferris Bueller. Chalamet put so much vulnerability into this role, with the key to this being the desperation we see on full display.
Marty never comes across as cruel. His choices are selfish, but he demonstrates shreds of kindness and genuine care for his family, enough to keep you along for the ride.
For a film to make us feel so complexly about the main character is an astounding accomplishment. At times you are certain you want to see him emerge victorious, but the film puts more thoughts in your head to make you question your allegiance to Marty.
Each turn of the story is driven by an over-the-line obsessive choice made by the titular hero. I sat in the theater at multiple times jaw agape. I rarely emote during my theater experience, but I had no reservations about showing my shock and at times horror at the punctuating moments of violence, exploitation, provocativeness, indecency, but above all else sincerity on display in this movie.
“Marty Supreme” is not a sports movie and it was never going to be. The backdrop of table tennis is set dressing for the story of one man’s ambition.
Ambition like many of ours which climbs over our good senses, and our better judgment. If Marty Mauser is human, if Marty Mauser is redeemable, so are we. The end of the film is not a bow on a present, it is a sentence without punctuation. Marty is left in the one place he has to be. He has made his choice and I urge you to see what that choice is.
