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January 8, 2026

What’s to like? Why you can hate Timothée Chalamet’s character and still love Marty Supreme

Chalamet’s nogoodnik ping-pong hustler character is the latest in cinema’s rich history of protagonists with shabby morals. So why the backlash?

What’s to like? Why you can hate Timothée Chalamet’s character and still love Marty Supreme

TL;DR

  • Marty Supreme's lead character, Marty Mauser, engages in escalating criminal behavior but remains likable, partly due to Timothée Chalamet's performance.
  • The film has generated online discussions and critical commentary questioning why audiences are expected to sympathize with a near-sociopathic character.
  • This conversation about character likability mirrors past debates surrounding Leonardo DiCaprio's roles in films that depicted criminals.
  • The article suggests that discussions about male character likability might be more prevalent than those concerning female characters, especially regarding motherhood.
  • It is argued that film, unlike literature, offers less explicit guidance on how to interpret characters, making likability a significant factor in audience engagement.
  • The article concludes that while demanding likability may be an unfair expectation of cinema, the medium's expansive nature can handle such discussions and even offer the 'strange magic trick' of spending time with immoral characters.

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