Timothée Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a working-class heel aiming to become a table tennis champion in the 1950s. Marty is "a scrappy, speedy dynamo with a silver tongue and inhuman levels of chutzpah, [who] sets out to borrow, steal, cheat, sweet-talk and hustle his way to the top," says Fresh Air film critic Justin Chang. The film is nominated for nine Academy Awards.
We asked our NPR audience: What movie would you recommend to someone who loved Marty Supreme? Here's what you told us:
The Color of Money (1986)
Directed by Martin Scorsese; starring Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
I believe the obvious next watch here is The Color of Money. These two ballsy movies are a perfect double feature when the theme is hustling! – Sarah Wright, Nantucket, Mass.
The King of Kong (2007)
Directed by Seth Gordon; starring Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell
If you enjoyed a film about a real jerk excelling in a niche sport, might I suggest this documentary about a real jerk who is competing in the niche contest of Donkey Kong high scores? Extremely tense and with lots of behind-the-scenes skullduggery, it will scratch the same itch that Marty Supreme does. – Victor Catano, New York, N.Y.
Ping Pong (2002)
Directed by Fumihiko Sori; starring Yôsuke Kubozuka, Arata Iura, Sam Lee
Having seen Marty Supreme, you owe it to yourself to check out Fumihiko Sori's Ping Pong, a Japanese coming-of-age film about two friends who bond over table tennis. – Michael Cassizzi, Middle River, Md.
Birdman (2014)
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu; starring Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton
A washed up actor navigates his personal and career failings in the days leading up to the opening night of a Broadway play he hopes will be his comeback. While there are other films that could give you the sports and personal drama present in Marty Supreme, this movie is one of the few that can match the unending energy fans may still be coming down from after dreaming big. The continuous shot camerawork in Birdman does a lot of the heavy lifting, and while it can sometimes come off as gimmicky, the dedicated performances from the cast make sure it's never wasted in this fever dream comeback story that ends with a bang! – Tristan Olson, Olympia, Wa.
Monkey Man (2024)
Directed by Dev Patel; starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma
Dev Patel plays the unnamed "Kid," who, after witnessing the death of his mother at the hands of a violent and corrupt police chief in their village in India, begins a years-long quest for revenge. Much like Marty Mauser, there is an aggressive single-mindedness that characterizes Kid – though Kid is infinitely more sympathetic. – Hannah Swezey, Kirkwood, N.Y.
And a bonus pick from our critic:
Uncut Gems (2019)
Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie; starring Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel
Adam Sandler plays a similarly combustible, reckless, self-centered striver (a Manhattan gem dealer), in a similarly overcaffeinated Safdie thriller, this one directed by Josh with his brother Benny. – Bob Mondello, NPR movie critic
Carly Rubin and Ivy Buck contributed to this project. It was edited by Clare Lombardo.
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