The Smashing Machine
The brief
Benny Safdie strips away all the glossy brutality of MMA movies to focus on the grinding desperation of Mark Kerr's addiction, with Dwayne Johnson delivering his most vulnerable performance yet as a man whose body is both weapon and prison. The pacing mirrors Kerr's mental state - periods of intense focus punctuated by hazy, pill-fueled stretches that make you feel his disorientation. Emily Blunt matches Johnson's rawness as Dawn, their toxic codependency crackling with the kind of exhausting intimacy that makes you want to look away. Perfect for anyone who loved Uncut Gems or The Wrestler - it's character study first, sports movie second.
The verdict
If you're drawn to raw character studies like The Wrestler or Uncut Gems and can handle watching someone's slow destruction, this is essential viewing for Johnson's most vulnerable performance and Safdie's unflinching direction. If you expect typical sports movie thrills or can't stomach the grinding desperation of addiction, skip this intentionally uncomfortable endurance test.
Watch with
- 👤 Solo viewing for maximum emotional impact
- ⚠️ Skip if addiction content is triggering
Heads up
- Extensive drug use and addiction struggles (frequent)
- Graphic MMA fight violence (moderate)
- Toxic relationship dynamics and emotional abuse (moderate)
- Self-destructive behavior patterns (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- Benny Safdie
- Cast
- Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Lyndsey Gavin, Zoe Kosovic, Oleksandr Usyk
Official synopsis
In the late 1990s, up-and-coming mixed martial artist Mark Kerr aspires to become the greatest fighter in the
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Both explore masculine trauma and self-destruction through physical violence.
Total runtime: 2h 03m + 1h 29m = 3h 32m
