‘Marty Supreme’ Gets the ‘Clue’ Treatment: How the Timothée Chalamet Hit Ends, How It Originally Ended, and How I Thought It Would End

I once got yelled at for spoiling a moment in the original “Death of a Funeral” - a movie that was made nearly 20 years ago and has already been remade and barely anyone even liked - so I’m always wary of giving away too much about a film. But I think the ending of “Marty Supreme” has been discussed enough (and the movie is streaming) that I want to talk about it. But again, I cannot stress enough, if you haven’t seen it, SERIOUSLY STOP NOW GO NO FURTHER I’M NOT KIDDING I DON’T WANT ANGRY MESSAGES SCREAMING “How DArE YoU!?!!?”

I’m going to get too deep into the meaning of the ending - whether it’s triumphant or tragic, whether Marty is redeemed or a sociopath. Let’s just say I fall on the more realistic/pessimistic side that Marty is going to keep on Martying and I believe that is Josh Safide’s point. Nothing in his filmography would suggest this is a character suddenly born anew and ready to be a responsible, loving human. And this can be demonstrated by how I thought the movie was going to end - were this a traditional, crowd-pleasing blockbuster.

A. How “Marty Supreme” Ends

A recap (and last chance to STOP SERIOUSLY IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT AMAZON AND YOUTUBE ARE RENT THERE TO RENT IT) of the end. Narcissistic conman Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) steps on everyone in his life in his pursuit of being a great ping-pong player. I know this sounds more like an Adam Sandler comedy, but it’s done with all the grit and seriousness of… an Adam Sandler drama. (Specifically “Uncut Gems.”) After denying paternity of his incoming child, abandoning his baby mama and long-suffering mother and flying off to a big table tennis tournament in Japan, Marty agrees to throw the game to please billionaire bad guy Milton Rockwell (played by millionaire bad guy Kevin O’Leary.) He lets his Japanese rival Endo (Koto Kawaguchi) win, which makes the largely Japanese crowd cheer.

Except Marty can’t help himself and insists on a legitimate rematch, which he wins. Rockwell is furious - and in a seemingly throwaway line calls himself a 400-year-old vampire and ensures Marty will be ruined for life. But he gets home, rushes to see his newborn child, stares at the baby’s face, and cries. Cut to an anachronistic “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and lots and lots of think pieces.

B. How “Marty Supreme” Was Going To End
In an interview with Sean Baker for the A24 podcast in January, Safdie revealed the original ending of the film and it’s wonderfully batshit crazy. It was intended to jump ahead about 30 years to the 1980s where Marty, now a successful businessman, takes his granddaughter to a “Tears for Fears” concert. There he runs into Rockwell - who reveals himself to be a vampire and bites his neck.

While many people thought this was out of nowhere, that’s precisely why I loved it. I’m a sucker for last-second changes in tone/genre and random reveals. This is why I love how at the end of “Vox Lux” the narrator just throws out a mention that the superstar singer’s success all came from selling her soul to the devil. (Oops, that’s technically a spoiler please don’t yell.) And I felt it was keeping in line with the unpredictability of the film, but also the tone which often veers into the surreal. Also, that line is in there for a reason and when Rockwell says it - I believe it.

Anyway, Safdie changed his mind - I’m not going to say he took the commercial way out because no part of “Marty Supreme” feels like the work of a sellout, but he and co-screenwriter Ronald Bronstein went with ending A.

C. How I Thought “Marty Supreme” Was Going to End
Momentarily forgetting I was watching an A24 Josh Safdie movie and having been raised on feel-good conclusions, I began to think the film was actually going to give us the Hollywood Happy Ending. And if people think Ending A is happy, wait til they get a load of this.

The film lays the groundwork early on that Marty doesn’t like white ping-pong balls - he can’t see them against competitor’s white shirts. So he harasses his hapless friend/victim Dion (Luke Manley) to convince his wealthy father to produce novelty balls that are bright orange. Dion does it - but in a fit of rage at his father and Marty, tosses them all out a window. This really bummed me out as Dion is the most pure character in the film, and deserved better - though I do appreciate that he stands up to his bullies at last.

Anyway, back to the climatic finale. When Marty demands his rematch against Endo, they both strip off their outerwear, revealing white undershirts. Here is where I thought Marty was going to whip out one of his novelty balls and suggest they use it. I mean, the balls where there for a reason, right - it’s Chekov’s Ping-Pong Ball, it has to pay off. Also, A24 made a big point of the neon balls in all their marketing. There must be something there, right? Right?

I must have been high (I mean, I also thought I saw Penn Jillette in a role) because I really thought the movie was going to go whole hog on the happiness. I thought Marty would realize he needed to lose the match - for his future, for his family, and honestly because the crowd was on Endo’s side. He was going to finally learn it was better to be kind than right. So he would lose, but guess what? The orange ball was such a hit, someone would choose to purchase the rights and market it and Marty and sweet Dion would be set for life. Cue “Everybody Wants To Rule the World” but unironically this time.

Oh, what a sweet summer child I was for those brief moments. Of course, that’s not how Safdie is going to end his uncompromising, realistic tale. And thank God. It wouldn’t have been honest and it wouldn’t have made sense and would be a betrayal of the character. And to what end? The film already made $200 million at the box office, outgrossing all previous A24 releases, and received nine Oscar nominations. Thank God Safdie is who he is, and stayed true to the character - which is why I believe the ending is not the big Kumbaya moment some believe it is. It’s raw, it’s real, and Marty is going to keep on destroying everything in his path with his own self interests. It’s the perfect ending.

Though I would have really liked the one with the vampire, too

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