December 25th is one of the biggest days of the year for movie theaters. Here are two major new releases you should have on your Christmas Day list.
First up is "Marty Supreme". Timothee Chalamet headlines his third consecutive December film, following "Wonka" in 2023 and Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" last year. This time he plays ping-pong master Marty Mauser. The screenplay, co-written by director Josh Safdie, is loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman, U.S. men’s table tennis champ in the 1950s. Chalamet is commanding as Mauser, a confident guy who's a lot to handle, and isn't afraid to hustle and manipulate others on his path to total domination. It's a performance that will very likely take Chalamet back to the Oscars. But will he win? It depends on how many members of The Academy will want to reward his work even though the film is disjointed.
"Marty Supreme" is like a ping-pong match — it constantly goes back and forth, from quality, compelling scenes, to ones that are goofy, predictable and completely off the rails. The table tennis scenes are epic — Chalamet trained for years, and it shows. And Kevin O'Leary ("Shark Tank"'s Mr. Wonderful) does a nice job as Mr. Rockwell, a cutthroat business tycoon. Having O'Leary deliver lines like, "I'll make you an offer," as he does on TV, and seeing him legitimately hold his own with Chalamet, makes the experience fun. But so much of this movie intentionally goes for shock-value, as Mauser and others get caught-up in some ridiculous situations, often played for laughs, that take you out of any momentum.
And there isn't much to the role of Kay Stone, a famous actress played by a famous actress, Gwyneth Paltrow. It's her first non-Marvel, on-screen film role in over a decade. But her presence feels minor and her storyline is choppy, with an abrupt conclusion. At two and a half hours, "Marty Supreme" is a bit long, but it's a case of simply going along for the ride. It's chatty, loud and chaotic, with the energy cranked to 11.
Clearly it's not the 'supreme' option for this Christmas Day. That honor belongs to "Song Sung Blue", which is not only based on a true story — it's also based on a documentary about Milwaukee couple Mike and Claire Sardina. In the '90s, they performed as the duo Lightning and Thunder in a Neil Diamond tribute band. The concert scenes are immersive and some of the cinematic highlights of 2025 — but there's so much more to Mike and Claire than what we see on stage. Director Craig Brewer (of the smart 2019 Eddie Murphy comedy "Dolemite Is My Name") takes us on a hefty, emotional journey of how they meet, fall in love, chase their music dreams and face some significant personal challenges.
The heartbeat of "Song Sung Blue" is how it tackles the human experience — the joys and pain of life — head-on, showing the hope, determination, struggles and success anyone, especially artists, go through. As Mike, Hugh Jackman matches the impact of his tour de force work in 2012 musical "Les Miserables", pouring himself not only into renditions of songs like "Sweet Caroline" and "Soolaimon", but a number of intense, dramatic moments as well. Kate Hudson is terrific as Claire, and former Nickelodeon TV star Ella Anderson delivers a breakthrough performance as Claire's teen daughter Rachel, who provides an authentic perspective of Mike and Claire's relationship. "Song Sung Blue" is a charming and moving film about connection and legacy. A true diamond this holiday season.
