Along with his brother, Bennie, Josh Safdie has carved a fiery swath through Hollywood beginning with 2017’s Good Time starring Robert Pattinson, and then Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler. Their films are animated, beautiful chaos, with abrupt changes in direction and characters that don’t accept failure, relentlessly pursuing their goals. Josh hewed close to the proven Safdie style here and the results speak for themselves in this brilliant film. The Safdie’s love New York, and they are especially drawn to a gritty, older, lived-in New York made of alleyways and dingy, smoke-filled back rooms. Comparisons between Marty Supreme and Uncut Gems are inevitable. The films have shared DNA in their style and pace. This time Josh directed without Bennie, who was making his own film, The Smashing Machine, another sports drama starring Dwayne Johnson, which fell flat with audiences.
“…a barely-controlled-heart-attack masterpiece of a film…”
As Marty, Chalamet pulls off this rocket-fueled high-wire act in a career best performance, which is striking given that he’s just turned in a stellar version of Bob Dylan in 2024’s A Complete Unknown. He fearlessly embodies Marty speed-running through life allowing nothing to deter him. The supporting cast looks as worn as the NYC nooks and crannies they inhabit. There’s a nostalgic old Hollywood charm in using rumpled actors to contrast with beautiful main characters. Abel Ferrara plays Ezra, a sinister man Marty meets in an accident in his rotting hotel room. Fran Drescher is Rebecca, Marty’s hypochondriac mother. Tyler the Creator appears in his debut acting role as Wally, Marty’s faithful friend and co-conspirator in a performance so natural and endearing that it’s hard to believe it’s his first role. Odessa A’zion grounds the whole insane carnival ride as Rachel. A’zion gives Rachel a vulnerability that is undeniable. This part should launch her into even greater roles. To round it out, there are entertaining cameos by Penn Gillette, Sandra Bernhardt, and others.
Marty Supreme is a rare film that will become a watershed moment in cinematic history, in the same way that Taxi Driver and Pulp Fiction did. It will be spoken of in reverent tones in years to come, and will be endlessly studied and then copied by lesser filmmakers. Josh Safdie will take his place beside revered directors like Tarantino, Scorsese, and the Coen brothers. His methods will be debated, scorned, and lionized. Take it in now, while it’s fresh and raw, before it becomes a cinematic religious relic.
Learn more at the official Marty Supreme website
"…a rare film that will become a watershed moment in cinematic history..."
