Review - The Smashing Machine
Directed by: Benny Safdie
Written by: Benny Safdie
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt
Running Time: 123 Minutes
Rating: 2.5/5
The Smashing Machine is a smaller Safdie character study that forgoes the chaotic energy of Safdie past - an unusually conventional sports biopic that provides Dwyane Johnson a vehicle to strut a different side of his larger-than-life persona, albeit to a muted applause.
Benny Safdie’s first solo outing arrives with high expectations, and perhaps unfairly so. Alongside his brother Josh, Safdie helped define a generation of indie filmmaking with Good Time and Uncut Gems—kinetic, chaotic, anxiety-inducing works that pulse with energy. With The Smashing Machine, Benny pivots into a very different arena: a sports biopic about mixed martial artist pioneer Mark Kerr, starring a very real life charismatic colossus; Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
On paper, it’s an unlikely marriage: Safdie’s nervy indie aesthetic with Johnson’s blockbuster superstardom. A match that seems seemingly impossible - a thriving juggernaut of a film that feels feverish, a demented playhouse of cinematic highs - almost a cash-gab pull quote to get all the trades talking. Unfortunately - that’s what it is - in execution, The Smashing Machine is just a serviceable, conventional film that feels like a studio drama with some sparkle of indie-Safdie flair. There isn’t a pulse-pounding narrative push towards a determined end - it feels like a slower paced Altman film; a small character study that evokes a minimalist aura of Safdie’s often jittery brillance.
This Oscar season is shaping up to be one that is challenging - for Johnson has propelled himself into the race solely based on hype and buzz around his performance as Kerr. He brings a physical presence that’s undeniable: a hulking, gentle giant that steps into the ring with the sole purpose to smash and destroy - but inside, Kerr is a broken down machine; the gears are worn and through, the bones are shattered and bruised and a heart that’s lonely and tough. Even in the film’s most quietest of moments outside of the ring, Johnson retreats to mannerisms that feel overindulgent or melodramatic; when Safdie calls for emotional vulnerability, Johnson leaves a performance that feels cautious and tense, rather than one that is raw and authentic. Although Smashing Machine is Johnson’s most subdued and naturalistic work to date - that is a bar that is quite low and unfortunately, it is difficult to shed much of his larger-than-life charismatic performance.
Emily Blunt fares better as Dawn, Kerr’s girlfriend. She infuses the role with fire and heartbreak, a woman entangled in the brutal cycle of Kerr’s career and addictions. Their relationship anchors the film emotionally, though even Blunt can’t escape her role being a little underused and a little predictable in the structure of the biopic format. Dawn acts as a foil to Kerr and his struggles - and there is little of an arc between the two to wholly grasp and be emotionally drawn to.
Where The Smashing Machine disappoints most is in Safdie’s direction. While the film features occasional handheld grit and vérité-inspired casting of real fighters and trainers, the signature Safdie chaos—the frenetic momentum, the suffocating tension—is absent. What remains is a biopic that could have been made by any competent studio hand, rather than a filmmaker whose name once promised something jagged and wild. It feels muted, safe and too predictable to really associate to Safdie’s name - and while this may be a new direction in Safdie’s career - it is definitely something that comes to mind when looking back at past filmography. A film with decent performances and a subpar outing almost feels like Safdie’s win for the Silver Lion at Venice a little lucky than deserved (happy for Safdie, nonetheless).
This isn’t to say the film is bad—it’s watchable, occasionally moving, and certainly authentic in its depiction of the MMA world. But it feels cautious, pulling punches instead of landing them. As Benny and Josh move on to different paths, it becomes interesting to see how Josh lands with Marty Supreme when looking back at both films in time.
The Smashing Machine may win over casual audiences and score some awards chatter thanks to Johnson’s star power, but for those who expected a knockout from Benny’s solo directorial debut - brace yourself for something too safe to call it special.
The Smashing Machine will be released in theatres on October 3rd, 2025.
