The Smashing Machine Review

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s career has taken a dramatic turn by teaming up with the indie studio A24 and acclaimed director Benny Safdie so he can star in a biopic about Mixed Martial Artist Mark Kerr.

Mark Kerr is a star fighter in the growing sport of MMA. Between 1997 to 2000, he travelled to Japan to fight in some of the biggest tournaments at the time. However, Kerr also needs to battle his addiction to painkillers and his turbulent relationship with his girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt).

During the 2010s, Johnson was one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He was producing hit after hit and became the face of franchises like The Fast and the Furious and Jumanji. However, in the 2020s, his hit-making abilities failed him. Jungle Cruise was a flop, and Johnson faced criticisms for how he tried to hijack the DCEU when making Black Adam and vetoing a cameo by the Justice Society in Shazam! Fury of Gods, and The Wrap published a scathing article about his behaviour when working on Red One. Johnson’s tried and tested formula has faltered, so he has had to pivot.

The Smashing Machine was Johnson’s attempt to make a serious drama, and he teamed with the right people. A24’s previous sports film was The Iron Claw, which was a fantastic look at toxic masculinity through the lens of the Von Erich Family. I gave it a highly positive review. Safdie’s previous film as a director was the critically acclaimed thriller Uncut Gems with his brother, Josh, and starred Adam Sandler, who’s mostly known for comedies. The Smashing Machine had a great trailer that made it a film I was anticipating.

Johnson has done dramatic roles before The Smashing Machine. He was in films like Gridiron Gang and Snitch, and with The Smashing Machine, Johnson played to his strengths. Johnson was an athlete, and his version of Kerr shared a lot of the actor’s mannerisms. Kerr was an outgoing, polite people person who happened to fight for a living. As Kerr states, he doesn’t hate anyone he’s fighting, and during an early match in São Paolo, Kerr showed concern for the opponent that he had beaten unconscious. Nor did Kerr have any ill will toward an opponent who broke the rules after they fought. It wasn’t a traditional sports film where the opponents were antagonists like the Rocky series.

Johnson had the opportunity to go out of his comfort zone. Kerr’s addiction issues made him vulnerable and emotional, especially when he went to the hospital. Plus, he had a fiery relationship with Dawn, which resulted in fierce arguments between the pair. Kerr’s cheerful mask slipped.

The Smashing Machine was based on a documentary, and Safdie employed a documentary style. The Smashing Machine felt gritty and voyeuristic as it followed characters through personal moments and got up close during the MMA matches. Safdie won the Silver Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival, which puts him in good stead for award nominations, considering recent winners, including Academy Award-winning director Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), and Oscar-nominee Brad Corbet (The Brutalist).

Whilst there was a lot to admire about The Smashing Machine, it had an air of disappointment. This was due to the film struggling to find its narrative hook. It wasn’t clear if it was a story about overcoming drug addiction, a toxic relationship, or two friends potentially facing each other in a tournament. There were moments in the film that felt like they were left on the cutting room floor, like when Dawn made a panicked phone call to Kerr’s friend, Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), saying she found her boyfriend unconscious and unresponsive.

The Smashing Machine was at times a low-energy film. This was highlighted by the music, which was a mix of jazz and sync. It was notable during the fight scenes, which took out some of the fury from a brutal sport. Safdie was trying to avoid making formulaic sports films, but sports films tend to be mainstream entertainment and awards contenders: look at Rocky, Raging Bull, Million Dollar Baby, and The Fighter.

The Smashing Machine was an admirable film from Johnson and Safdie, and hopefully, it will start a new chapter in Johnson’s career. However, I wanted to like it more than I actually did.