The Smashing Machine Review: The Rock Shines, But the Movie is Dull

Benny Safdie's new movie, THE SMASHING MACHINE, boasts a stellar performance from Dwayne Johnson, but fails to tell a compelling story.

THE SMASHING MACHINE key art

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been portraying a version of himself in various adventure gear for the better part of the last decade. Most of his performances have been crowd pleasers, even if they didn’t seem to stretch him much as an actor. In Benny Safdie’s new film, The Smashing Machine, Johnson flexes his acting (and literal) muscles, but unfortunately, there isn’t much there to support him in this aimless biopic about UFC fighter Mark Kerr.

The Smashing Machine follows Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) from 1997 to 2000, when mixed martial arts fighting was just beginning to gain popularity. Kerr was fighting and winning every time he stepped into the ring, while privately struggling with an addiction to pain medication. Eventually, he began fighting in Japan as part of the Pride series of MMA fights. Following a “no contest” fight with Igor Vovchanchyn (Oleksandr Usyk), his addiction worsened until he was found on his bathroom floor by his girlfriend, Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt).

Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr in THE SMASHING MACHINE. Credit: Eric Zachanowich. Courtesy of A24.

Getting sober helped Mark find his purpose again, but his relationship with Dawn was strained in a way that kept him from finding peace. As he began training for a new season of Pride with his coach, Bas Rutten (played Rutten himself), the fights between Mark and Dawn intensified. His primary source of comfort was his longtime friendship with Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader).

There are numerous fascinating events in Kerr’s life during this period that would make for a compelling story, but somehow The Smashing Machine feels unwilling or unable to delve into any of them with any real interest. The film follows three stories: Kerr’s addiction and eventual sobriety, his tumultuous relationship with Dawn, and his deep friendship with Coleman. However, there is far more telling us about them than showing.

What makes The Smashing Machine bearable is the committed and vulnerable performance from Johnson. He brings so much tenderness to this role that at times it is hard to imagine that this man punched people as hard as he could for a living. The evenness with which he plays Kerr is amplified in the moments when he loses control. It is truly an impressive turn from an actor who seemed to be stagnating in fun but mediocre roles.

Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples and Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr in THE SMASHING MACHINE. Credit: Ken Hirama. Courtesy of A24.

Blunt does an admirable job with a criminally underwritten character. She mostly manages to avoid falling into a completely melodramatic performance, but there isn’t much to work with. Bader shines as Mark Coleman, and the relationship between Kerr and Coleman was the aspect of the story that I was most drawn to.

Even though The Smashing Machine is just over two hours long, I found myself wanting something more from each of the stories. A deeper dive into how his addiction impacted his relationships and how his healing changed those. A more thorough examination of his deep friendship with Coleman and what it would have meant for the two of them to fight one another. A fuller look at his relationship with Staples and how they helped and hurt one another.

At the end of The Smashing Machine, the real Mark Kerr waves at the camera from across a grocery store parking lot. Unfortunately, that was as close as we ever got to understanding the man.

Rating: 2.5/5

This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on October 4, 2025.