The Smashing Machine
Diverse roles for sports stars-turned-movie stars are few and far between. For the longest time, this was true for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. His breakout role was a cameo in The Mummy Returns, before venturing into altogether sillier fare with The Tooth Fairy and thus catalysing his Hollywood Rock heel persona in the world of professional wrestling. Based on the life of wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, The Smashing Machine shows Johnson in a decidedly different light.
Benny Safdie’s first directorial offering without his brother, Josh, is a triumph, a humanist approach to the traditional sports biopic. The film is less an abridged biography and more a character study during the most turbulent period of Kerr’s life and career; it’s also unique in that it takes place across just three years of Kerr’s life, from 1997 to 2000.
While MMA fighters can earn a fortune today, this was not the case during the pre-commercialised era when UFC and Pride existed as outlaw promotions with fewer rules and equally fewer safeguards. We see Kerr in Tokyo, haggling over his $3,000 cheque before becoming resigned to accepting the meagre payout. As with so many professional fighters, the physical toll of the sport on Kerr’s mind and body leads to him misusing pain medication. All the while, his domestic life with his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt), becomes increasingly volatile. Johnson and Blunt capture the highs and lows of a toxic relationship perfectly – and to a frighteningly realistic extent.
The direction is quintessentially Safdie: He finds the sublime in the ordinary, with some of the most beautiful scenes being moments of unfiltered realism. Safdie, who has secured a track record of successfully ushering comedic actors into serious roles (Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems, for instance), works his magic on Johnson. He depicts Kerr as a ruthless fighter with machine-like precision, all the while imbuing him with an emotional weight and complexity. His brotherly bond with best friend Mark Coleman (an excellent Ryan Bader, himself an MMA fighter) shows a more tender side to this hyper-masculine domain. Current undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk also gives a fantastic performance as Igor Vovchanchyn.
A compelling and at times devastating tale, The Smashing Machine was a potentially risky undertaking, but it leaves no doubt as to the talents of its principal lead. Johnson gives a powerhouse performance and carries a gritty auteur drama that pulls no punches.
Antonia Georgiou
The Smashing Machine is released nationwide on 3rd October 2025.
Watch the trailer for The Smashing Machine here:
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