Marty (Chalamet) is a man who dreams of more than rising to management at his family’s shoe store. Luckily, he’s got a plan. He’s going to become the single greatest table-tennis player the world has ever seen. After a fantastic performance at the British Open, he sets his sights on the World Championship in Tokyo. At the top of his game, he’s feeling unbeatable and is lucky enough to catch the eye of a formerly celebrated screen actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), who he begins to see from time to time. But in reality, Marty’s from humbler roots and has trouble crossing into society’s higher echelons. He can’t even find the funds to make the trip to Japan, and as his plans begin to crumble, he becomes more desperate.

Directed by Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems), who specializes in giving a spotlight to characters who are down on their luck, the film holds sympathy for Marty as he launches headlong down a precipitous path. Energetically shot on grainy 35mm and powered by 80s music along with a shimmering, surging score, there’s a giddy messiness and electrifying volatility to the plot, which avoids being either a staid period piece or a triumph-of-the-underdog crowd pleaser. A portrait of power and privilege in New York City, and of a hustler trying to come out on top, it’s centered on a complicated character who says and does some reprehensible things. Yet despite his flaws, Marty somehow remains likeable, and Chalamet’s portrayal never loses steam. Instead, what he renders into being is a character who’s larger than life, and one that could very well deliver his moment to win an Oscar.

(US / 2025 / Directed by Josh Safdie)
R / 2h 30m