If there’s one thing we all collectively know about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, it’s that he was a wrestler. Another is that physically, he is a tall and muscular man. Now that that’s out of the way, Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine is one of his best performances yet. He not only embodied the American mixed martial artist and former wrestler Kerr in look and sound, but also did a remarkable job displaying the emotional toll of a hard-working man during one of the most troubling moments of his life.
The Smashing Machine, directed by Benny Safdie, stars Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr, Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples, and Ryan Bader as American mixed martial arts and professional wrestler Mark Coleman. The sports drama highlights MMA fighter Mark Kerr as he reaches the peak of his career while struggling with an addiction to opioids. The film highlights the struggle of addiction and some of the ways it can affect your entire life.
We are introduced to Kerr as he is participating in his first UFC match. Audiences learn pretty quickly that Kerr is not messing around and that he will do anything to be number one. The juxtaposition of Kerr’s soft voice saying violent words about dominating his opponent in the ring is jarring but necessary and brilliant. It conveys what we need to know about this man from the get-go. There seems to be a battle between the precise and vicious man in the ring and the charming teddy bear at home. All around, it seems he just wants to be loved and is searching for a particular high from his woman, the fight, and the fans.
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Dwayne Johnson took his physical appearance to a new level. One that would honestly overshadow even his prime WWE moments. Coming from a wrestling background definitely helped with the role, but it did not define it. Audiences can tell he took genuine care with this character, allowing us to have an open and well-acted experience. Even in the portraits of victory, we see immeasurable pain. Emily Blunt is always excellent, and her portrayal of a girlfriend, Dawn Staples, was an incredible blend of charm and psychosis. The chemistry between Johnson and Blunt was undeniable, far more than their time together on Jungle Cruise. You can tell their friendship and connection have matured over the years. They clearly trusted each other to be their most vulnerable selves.
Director Benny Safdie does a great job, mixing pain, trauma, and love in a digestible form. Never letting the audience sit too long in the dark, we get small yet strategic doses of comedy. Safdie has the ability to fuse tension between the fighting and home life so much so that I was expecting the other shoe to drop in some major, tragic way. But while I was pleasantly surprised by the story, it somehow all remained very surface-level. I wasn’t disappointed, but somehow I wanted more.
The Smashing Machine is shot in a compelling way. The fight scenes were choreographed and filmed with a particular focus on the action, rather than the blood and chaos, with limited zoom and a minor emphasis on the details. Instead, the emphasis was on the fights as a whole and how each character emerged from them. The film felt like a documentary, thanks to its lighting and camera angles, which work particularly well for the story.
Overall, I was impressed by the performances and chemistry of the actors. I was not only entertained, but I learned something new and was reminded of a true life lesson — Sometimes you get knocked down, you lose, and that’s OK, as long as you get back up and keep moving forward.
The Smashing Machine opens in theaters on October 3, 2025.
