‘The Smashing Machine’: A Modern Requiem for a Heavyweight

Dwayne Johnson jettisons The Rock for good in a career-defining performance.

Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) is an MMA wrestler, in "The Smashing Machine." Eric Zachanowich/A 24

R | 2h 3m | Drama, Sports, Biography | 2025

Dwayne Johnson isn’t the first professional “athlete” to succeed as an actor after retiring, but he is the most successful. I put the word athlete in quotation marks as most people don’t consider Johnson’s previous job (professional wrestling) to be a real sport. It’s rigged entertainment.

Pro wrestling is a canard, a not-so-deep fake, a well-choreographed exercise in tomfoolery. It’s an artifice, and even some of its biggest fans know it’s staged and not authentic.

In my opinion, this is the best explanation why Johnson became one of the highest box office draws of the last quarter century. His inherent, overwhelming charisma and crack marketing skills made it relatively easy for him to transition into movie superstardom, and Johnson has made the absolute most of it.

Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) shows his vulnerability, in "The Smashing Machine." Eric Zachanowich/A 24

A Radical Departure

“The Smashing Machine” (“Smashing”) marks a radical departure for Johnson. It’s one of the few movies in his 25-year career that’s not based in action, comedy, or animation. Because it’s set in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), there are a few action sequences, but they are secondary to the drama aspects.

Johnson plays Mark Kerr, an early MMA competitor when the sport was less regulated and far more brutal than it is today. In fact, Kerr was so good a fighter that the MMA overseers banned many of his moves and punches as they quickly ended matches, thus driving down TV viewership numbers.

Based largely on the 2002 Kerr biographical documentary of almost the same name, “Smashing” at times bears a close resemblance to both Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” (1980) and Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” (2008), if only out of similar subject matter.

Substance Abuse

As Kerr’s career progressed, so did his injuries. There was also his not-surprising dependence on painkillers in general and opioids in particular. This developed into habitual use, then abuse, which was also the case with Kerr’s then-girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt), whom he later married.

(L–R) Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson, and director Benny Safdie on the set of "The Smashing Machine." Eric Zachanowich/A 24

This portion of the movie mirrors that of the title character (Woody Harrelson) in “The People vs. Larry Flynt” (1996) and his wife, Althea (Courtney Love). Flynt needed drugs for pain. Althea did so for recreational use, as does Dawn.

An unlikely screen pairing to be sure, but it’s not the first time Johnson and Blunt have played romantic leads opposite each other. In 2021, they starred in Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” a wanting and pedestrian adaptation of a theme park ride designed to be a quasi-reimagining of “The African Queen” (1951).

The Safdies and the Coens

“Smashing” isn’t quite the eighth feature from writer, editor, director, and co-producer Benny Safdie. Safdie’s seven previous efforts were collaborations made with his older brother Josh. Because of their shared Jewish heritage and sibling working relationship, the Safdies have been rightfully compared to the Coen brothers. The connection doesn’t end there.

Both the Safdies and the Coens have recently broken up or decided to make “solo albums.” Neither partnership has officially been dissolved; but thus far, the Coen brothers’ solo movies don’t come close to matching the quality of their work as a team.

But Safdie’s first effort is on a par with everything he and Josh made together, maybe even better. Josh’s first solo movie, “Marty Supreme,” another sports-based film, will be released on Christmas and has yet to be screened for critics.

Director Benny Safdie (L) and Dwayne Johnson, on the set of "The Smashing Machine." Eric Zachanowich/A 24

Big Questions Answered

Here are some big questions regarding “Smashing.” Does Johnson pull it off? Yes. Is he just turning in a variation of his ring character “The Rock”? No. Will his fan base like it? Not if they’re expecting a happy-go-lucky, wisecracking character with arching eyebrows. Will he get an Oscar nomination for his performance? The chances of that right now (according to goldderby, which predicts Oscar and Emmy awards) are about 60 percent.

Is playing an MMA combatant all that different from playing a professional wrestler? No. What makes Johnson’s performance unique is making Kerr withdrawn and vulnerable. The Rock was forever confident and always brimming with charisma. Kerr is a man with deep insecurities who is (usually) soft spoken, timid, and riddled with self-doubt.

If the movie tanks (unlikely) or Johnson fails to garner critical or industry accolades, that doesn’t matter. I tip my hat to him for doing something different and not at all expected.

This movie is where Johnson shines and actually rises above the material. His performance is better than the movie itself, which is saying a lot.

My guess is that the Johnson faithful will come out in droves to see this movie. Most of them will be impressed, some will hate it, but all will likely agree he took a big chance. No matter what your position, you have to respect Johnson for trying something new and different.

The film is now playing in theaters.

‘The Smashing Machine’ Director: Benny Safdie Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten MPAA Rating: R Running Time: 2 hours, 3 minutes Release Date: Oct. 3, 2025 Rating: 4 stars out of 5

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