In a stunning late-year twist, the race for the title of 2025's best film has been decisively won by the 'mesmerising' ping-pong drama Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet. Critics have united in a chorus of praise, confidently predicting major Academy Award success for the sports comedy-drama following the lifting of its review embargo.
A Critical Triumph and Oscar Buzz
Directed and co-written by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme has achieved an outstanding 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 64 reviews, with many critics awarding it full marks. The film, which premiered as a surprise screening at the New York Film Festival in early October, stars Chalamet as up-and-coming 1950s New York table tennis star Marty Mauser, a character loosely inspired by the real-life American player Marty Reisman. The cast also includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, and Tyler, the Creator.
The loudest buzz surrounds Chalamet's central performance, with numerous reviewers declaring it his career-best work and a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination. The actor, previously nominated for Call Me By Your Name and A Complete Unknown, is now seen as a frontrunner to finally claim the statuette. Critic Max Covill stated there is 'no question' it's one of the year's best films, while Slashfilm called it 'unquestionably the best performance of Timothée Chalamet's career'.
Ecstatic Reviews and a Few Dissenting Voices
The critical reaction has been overwhelmingly rapturous. Andrew J. Salazar of Discussing Film declared Chalamet's turn 'magnetic' and the film 'easily one of the best movies of 2025'. The Telegraph's Robbie Colin went further, calling it 'the best film of the year, and exactly the jolt the coming Oscars season needed', in a five-star review that described the experience as a 'joyous salute to life's beautiful cacophony'.
The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw, also awarding five stars, wrote that the film embodies the 'rhythm and spirit of table tennis' in every scene. IndieWire's David Erlich quipped that 'Chalamet makes one of the most colossal movie performances of the 21st century seem as natural as a lay-up'.
However, not every review was positive. Time Magazine's Stephanie Zacharek criticised the film as 'hollow as a ping-pong ball', and The Wrap's William Bibbiani dismissed it as 'shallow self-congratulation' and 'half a great film'.
Viral Marketing and Release Dates
The film's buzz was further amplified by a clever, cringe-inducing viral marketing video released on Instagram by studio A24. The clip featured Chalamet playing an insufferable version of himself in a fictional marketing meeting, suggesting absurd promotional ideas like painting the Statue of Liberty orange and releasing orange blimps to rain ping-pong balls from the sky.
Marty Supreme is scheduled for release in US cinemas on December 25 and will arrive in UK cinemas on December 26.
