Director Josh Safdie’s opus “Marty Supreme,” hits theaters on Christmas Day, with the tagline, “dream big.” This feverish, breakneck journey follows a tabletop whiz kid from New York City named Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) as he attempts to make it to the top of his sport, battling demons inside and out on his globe-spanning quest. It’s a lot like “Uncut Gems” (Safdie’s prior film) but set in the 1950s. Both Marty Mauser and Howard Ratner, of "Gems," are cut from the same hustler cloth.

That’s why it’s worth checking out Safdie’s prior filmography as supplemental viewing to “Marty Supreme,” because he — and frequent co-writer Ronald Bronstein — continue to mine the same milieu, a distinctly New York tone of capitalistic anxiety. It’s also worth noting that this is the first film that Safdie has directed without his brother, Benny Safdie. He made his solo directorial debut with another sports movie this fall, the MMA biopic “The Smashing Machine,” starring Dwayne Johnson (now available for rent on all digital platforms).

The closest film to “Marty Supreme” is the Safdies’ 2019 gambling epic “Uncut Gems,” starring Adam Sandler in the performance of a lifetime as NYC diamond dealer Howard Ratner. Set largely in the midtown Diamond District, Howie can’t help but gamble on everything he can, and he becomes obsessed with a rare gem that slowly causes his life to crumble. Absolutely bravura work from all involved, and many of the same creative collaborators who worked on “Marty Supreme,” including cinematographer Darius Khondji, composer Daniel Lopatin, and casting director Jennifer Venditti. Stream “Uncut Gems” on HBO Max.

Also on HBO Max is the brothers’ 1970s-inspired panic attack on film, “Good Time,” starring Robert Pattinson. If “Uncut Gems” is their “Goodfellas,” consider “Good Time” their “Mean Streets,” the smaller, scrappier film. Pattinson, with a bleached mop of hair, sets out on a quest to dig up bail money for his brother (played by Benny Safdie, who now has his own acting career, appearing in films like “Oppenheimer,” “Licorice Pizza” and “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”). Stream “Good Time” on HBO Max.

Their 2014 film, “Heaven Knows What,” blends documentary and fiction in the same vein as German druggy cult classic “Christiane F.” Using the real-life experiences of star Arielle Holmes, including drug addiction and homelessness, the Safdies capture a gritty portrait of addiction and life on the streets with startling authenticity. “Heaven Knows What” co-stars Caleb Landry Jones and the late Buddy Duress (also of “Good Time”). Rent it on digital platforms.

The brothers did make a documentary prior to “Heaven Knows What,” in 2013, with “Lenny Cooke,” about a high-ranked high school basketball player who never made it to the NBA. Stream it on Tubi.

Their debut feature “Daddy Longlegs” (2009) is based on some of their childhood experiences with their divorced father. Bronstein, who co-wrote with them (as he does all their films), also starred in the film as Lenny, a divorced father and film projectionist, who has an eventful weekend with his two sons (played by the sons of Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo). Stream it on Tubi.

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