The Smashing Machine
September 30th, 2025
MOVIE: THE SMASHING MACHINE
STARRING: DWAYNE JOHNSON, EMILY BLUNT, RYAN BADER
DIRECTED BY: BENNY SAFDIE
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 123 MINUTES
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s career has been filled with commercial highs. As one of Hollywood’s highest-paid and top-grossing stars, it’s easy to assume he’s had an unbroken string of successes. But while his films made money, many lacked substance. Black Adam was a missed opportunity, while his comedies with Kevin Hart rarely hit the mark. At one point, Johnson seemed to step away from roles requiring any real acting. That changes with The Smashing Machine, directed by Benny Safdie, where Johnson delivers his best work to date as MMA pioneer Mark Kerr. He offers a towering, yet vulnerable performance, one that will hopefully reshape his career narrative going forward.
Set between 1997 and 2002, the film follows Kerr’s rise in the brutal world of early MMA. His imposing presence makes it clear why he dominates the sport. By his side is girlfriend Dawn Staples (played spectacularly by Emily Blunt), whose love and frustration create emotional tension. While Kerr ascends professionally, he battles a dangerous addiction to painkillers, steroids, and opioids- turning his success into a fragile facade. Much of the film feels like a ticking time bomb.
Notably, director John Hyams, who helmed a 2002 documentary on Kerr also titled The Smashing Machine, is credited as a consulting producer. The documentary adds texture to Safdie’s stylistic choices. Shot on glorious 16mm film, Safdie employs a fly-on-the-wall approach that echoes Uncut Gems, immersing the viewer in the physical and emotional grind of Kerr’s world. The focus isn’t on action for action’s sake, but on capturing the raw, often painful reality of the characters’ lives.
Johnson and Blunt are magnetic. Their chemistry fuels the story. Mark, a gentle giant quietly unraveling; Dawn, a fierce, frustrated partner desperate to connect. Their dynamic grounds the film, particularly in a powerful scene underscored by Bruce Springsteen’s “Jungleland,” a moment likely to end up in both actors’ Oscar reels.
While the film’s subdued tone may surprise viewers expecting a high-octane sports drama, the realism is deliberate. The understated pacing, along with strong period details in costume, makeup, and soundtrack, helps anchor the story in its time.
The headline is Johnson’s transformative performance- vulnerable, raw, and utterly human. But the film is more than a comeback vehicle. It’s a haunting story of addiction, personal pain, and the physical toll of combat sports, elevated by Safdie’s intimate direction.
Told with honesty and grit, The Smashing Machine is a knockout in every sense, an unflinching, emotional, and ultimately triumphant portrait of a man at war with himself.
3 STARS
THE SMASHING MACHINE IS PLAYING IN THEATERS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3RD, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
