Title – The Smashing Machine (2025)

Director – Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems)

Cast – Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader

Plot – Follows the exploits of mixed-martial arts and UFC icon Mark Kerr (Johnson) aka The Smashing Machine as he attempts to conquer his chosen sport and make his relationship with Dawn Staples (Blunt) work.  

“You just wanna control everything”

Review by Eddie on 03/12/2025

One of 2025’s most notable failures to launch, as well as an all-time overestimate from esteemed distributor A24, who backed writer/director Benny Safdie’s first solo outing to the tune of roughly $50 million dollars, which doesn’t include the films significant marketing drive, The Smashing Machine is most notable for what it didn’t achieve over what it does achieve.

Exploring a few years in the life of legendary mixed martial arts and UFC champion/pioneer Mark Kerr, with Safdie’s film based on the famed HBO documentary from 2002 with the same title, Machine has all the makings of something special but due to a lack of narrative drive and inability for the film to connect its viewers on a deep level, this wannabe contender can’t last the round.

Gaining early notoriety and interest thanks to the transformation of its leading man Dwayne Johnson, who appeared to decide that he was done with mere blockbusters and wanted in on some awards season action, Machine has the ingredients of what would usually be expected of a box office infused awards drama but it never gels altogether leaving Johnson, his co-star Emily Blunt and Safdie all at sea in a film that’s far from terrible but a long way from being a knockout.

Clocking in at just over two hours in length, there’s multiple moments where you await Machine to find its grove and take the leap into the next level, but it just never comes.

Uninterested in producing a full-fledged biopic, with the film transpiring over a few years well into Kerr’s career, there’s little chance for the audience to find the threads needed to fully invest themselves into this feature that’s neither overly interesting as a sporting drama or a personal drama despite the best efforts of its two capable leads who appear desperate for the film around them to come to their wavelength.

Fully embodying Kerr and doing a fine job of being as un-Rock like as he can be, Johnson is as good as his ever been here and Blunt is as reliable as ever as his fiery and long-suffering partner Dawn Staples but their relationship never feels earnt or that intriguing, much like many of the films angles from Kerr’s drug use and sporting battles, everything feels very surface level with Safdie unable to unlock the storytelling nuance needed to make Machine the special film it might have been.

Feeling aimless in nature and delivery, Benny Safdie’s first solo directional outing shows glimmers of something special but falls flat on the canvas in most of its elements, an unfortunate turn for the talented filmmaker whose brother Josh appears to have stuck gold with his ping pong awards contender/critical darling Marty Supreme looking set to reign.

Final Say –

With a more structured story and more involving filmmaking The Smashing Machine might have achieved what many had hoped it would but despite solid attempts from its lead acting duo, Benny Safdie’s sporting drama is highly unmemorable and pedestrian.

2 1/2 No Fear garments out of 5