Film Review – The Smashing Machine

October 7th, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Given the talent assembled, it’s shocking how much of a letdown The Smashing Machine (2025) is. It has the look and attitude of a prestige picture, yet everything exists on a surface level. The emotion is artificial, the drama lackluster, and the stakes non-existent. It operates like a traditional sports biopic but is mannered and exaggerated. I felt little for the characters and their relationships, nor for the world they exist in. We come away with no more understanding about the real people and their importance other than what is told to us on the title cards. This is a movie that depicts a true story but doesn’t give us enough reason as to why it stands apart from any other tale about struggling athletes.

Writer/director Benny Safdie has already crafted himself an excellent career behind the camera. Along with his brother Josh Safdie, Benny has delivered films full of tension and intrigue, including (but not limited to) Daddy Longlegs (2009), Good Time (2017), and Uncut Gems (2019). In his first foray as a solo act, Safdie tackles the tale of Mark “The Smashing Machine” Kerr. Kerr is a former mixed martial artist who is considered one of the pioneers of the sport. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, he helped give rise to MMA’s popularity, leading to the global phenomenon it is today. Here, we see Kerr (Dwayne Johnson), juggling several personal and professional plates. He is in the midst of participating in a big tournament in Japan but must also navigate a rocky relationship with his girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt), a growing addiction to pain medication, as well as the possibility of facing his close friend Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader) to win the championship.

The writing touches on numerous subjects surrounding Kerr, but none of them lead to anywhere significant. It’s as though all these elements are introduced and then are subsequently ignored. We get glimpses of his substance abuse, but that thread dissolves quickly and with little fuss. Kerr and Coleman squaring off in the tournament has the potential for lots of drama, but that sadly goes nowhere. In one scene, Kerr talks with Japanese representatives of the league he is contracted to fight for. He discusses his contract and the pay he feels he deserves. The scene brings about some interesting notions regarding mixed martial arts, equal pay for athletes, and the possible shady business practices of the higher ups. Unfortunately, we never hear more of this beyond the one single scene. It’s as though Mark Kerr is the center point of these themes, but they are all disconnected from one another. The world building doesn’t give us a good enough idea of what it was like to be an MMA fighter in the early days of the sport.

The biggest issue plaguing The Smashing Machine is the central relationship between Mark and Dawn. This is supposed to be the emotional lynchpin of the entire narrative – detailing how Kerr’s career coincides with his private life. But the execution is so underwhelming that their dynamic plays like a bad soap opera. It’s scene after scene of them arguing over the smallest things, from the way Dawn prepares Mark’s food to her trimming the plants in the backyard. This came as a surprise, as one of Benny Safdie’s biggest strengths is in creating tension from people arguing over one another. Mark and Dawn’s spats are petty and toxic, which makes us wonder why they got together in the first place. Perhaps this is what the movie is trying to convey, but none of it felt natural or organic. From their interviews together, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt have natural chemistry and appear to enjoy each other’s company. But that does not translate on screen. We don’t get any bearing on their romance, why they fight, or why they reconcile. Their entire story is a rotating door of fighting, making up, and then fighting again. During one emotionally charged scene, Mark and Dawn’s actions are so over the top that it borders on satire of a sports movie relationship.

Given his history as a professional wrestler, I can see why Dwayne Johnson would be the right casting choice for Mark Kerr. He commits to the part with one hundred percent effort, using the impressive make up effects to get into the role. But the material does him no favors. We learn a lot about Kerr, but we never get to know him. What is it that drives him? What are his motivations, hopes, fears, and desires? Kerr is a pile of contradictions, but I found that to be less a character trait and more of a shortcoming of the writing. Kerr is depicted as a gentle giant, where he can be graceful and polite to strangers. However, he is prone to self-destructive behavior towards others (such as Dawn) and to himself. But why? What is it that causes him to make such drastic turns in his demeanor? The narrative fails at digging into his psyche and exploring the things that make him tick. Is it simply because he wants to be a champion? A lot is made of Kerr contributing to MMA’s popularity, but what exactly did he do to make it so popular? 

Visually, Safdie (along with cinematographer Maceo Bishop) incorporates a documentary like approach. Much of the camerawork is handheld, creating a gritty, intimate tone. This is true for both the fight scenes and character interactions. For Kerr’s bouts, the camera pulls in with tight closeup shots. This allows us to be right up in the action. We are less subject to the choreography of the fights as opposed to experiencing the energy of it all. It’s as if we are a front row spectator watching everything from just beyond the ropes. The same style is used during scenes of conversation as well – keeping the camera locked in medium to close up angles the entire time. However, the result is not as effective as the fight scenes, although that maybe a product of the writing. For example, during one major fight, the editing (Benny Safdie) cuts between Kerr grappling with his opponent and scenes of him with Dawn. I suppose this is meant to tell us what he is fighting for. But because the character, themes, and story aren’t developed well enough, the montage doesn’t hit the emotionality it was meant to. 

The Smashing Machine should have been a better sports biopic given who was behind its production. We have talented and charismatic actors, a filmmaker who has more than earned their well-regarded reputation, and a true-life story that hits all the familiar dramatic beats. And yet, the entire thing just felt…off. There is a late scene where we find Mark Kerr standing alone in the shower, quietly laughing to himself. In that moment, I found myself asking, “What is he laughing about?” If a movie goes nearly its full runtime and we still don’t have a grasp over its central character’s heart and soul, you know something went terribly wrong.

A24, Benny Safdie, Daddy Longlegs, Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Good Time, Josh Safdie, Maceo Bishop, Mark Kerr, Ryan Bader, The Smashing Machine, Uncut Gems