'The Smashing Machine' reveals a Dwayne Johnson we've never seen before Brian Truitt, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 12:15 AM 0 Underneath those sizable muscles on Dwayne Johnson's formidable frame in various "Fast and Furious" movies and action flicks over the years, a realdeal actor was apparently ju...
- - 'The Smashing Machine' reveals a Dwayne Johnson we've never seen before
Brian Truitt, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 12:15 AM
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Underneath those sizable muscles on Dwayne Johnson's formidable frame in various "Fast and Furious" movies and action flicks over the years, a real-deal actor was apparently just waiting to be uncaged. Or maybe simply challenged.
Writer/director Benny Safdie unlocks a new Oscar-ready era in Johnson's career with "The Smashing Machine" (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Oct. 3), a sports biopic that follows three formative years in the life of mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr. Putting this movie on his literally herculean shoulders, Johnson signals a new direction for himself – yeah, he might do a "Jumanji" movie or a breezy Netflix action flick, but we'll forever now know The Rock has a lot more in him than that.
On one hand, being a "Smashing Machine" seems a no-brainer of a role for a former pro wrestler whose character work has always been aces in a ring and decently impressive on a big screen, even if the movie wasn't. Alongside strong costars (including Emily Blunt), Johnson excels at telling Kerr's emotional story and, deftly if not profoundly, captures the complex soul of a man whose struggles with drugs almost derailed his career.
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Dwayne Johnson plays an MMA star on the rise who struggles with painkillers and his personal life in "The Smashing Machine."
The film follows Kerr's path from being a freestyle wrestling champion into the worlds of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championship, organizations still coming into popularity when Kerr stars tearing through competition in 1997. Safdie's camera takes a fly-on-the-wall approach to filming these brutal clashes of "extreme fighting," with head butts, knee kicks and fists of fury, and many scenes remind of the 2002 "Smashing Machine" documentary about Kerr.
These matches take a toll on Kerr's physical well-being and he becomes addicted to opioids. In between the film's frequent focus on his in-ring exploits, it shows him at home navigating a relationship with girlfriend Dawn (Blunt) that's loving yet also tumultuous. Mark winds up in rehab but even after that, there's friction between the lovers. He resents her going and having drinks with friends, and she's upset when he needs time by himself to train and focus for the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, a tournament to name the world's greatest fighter.
Johnson undergoes a transformation into Kerr that's remarkable on multiple levels. The actor looks like the MMA star with facial prosthetics and a hairpiece courtesy of Oscar-winning makeup artist Kazu Hiro – who turned Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill for "Darkest Hour." And Johnson packs more beef onto his already superheroic bod. It's the softer, more subtle details that mean the most alongside the feats of scary strength. Johnson utilizes a quieter voice and mannerisms that match a sensitive sort who beats other dudes to a pulp but worries about his upset "tummy" and cries in a vulnerable moment with his best friend, trainer and fellow MMAer Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader).
Mark (Dwayne Johnson) and Dawn (Emily Blunt) share a loving moment in "The Smashing Machine."
Blunt is a standout scene partner for him as Dawn, who exists as both caring and needling presence. And one of the most interesting revelations, apart from Johnson hitting a new artistic level, is Bader, a real-life MMA champ who becomes the movie's central figure for a spell as the Marks look to be on a collision course at the Grand Prix. He brings a grounded levity and another magnetic presence to the narrative, holding his emotional own with Johnson.
While it has aspects akin to a "Rocky" or similar sports drama, like grueling training montages and a culminating event, "Smashing Machine" is a more unconventional beast. It meanders a bit bouncing between Kerr's in-ring and at-home lives, though certain scenes do nicely find slice-of-life moments, like Mark's shopping trip for a meaningful souvenir in Japan. And Safdie ("Uncut Gems") also films his MMA matches in an unusual, artful manner, with a jazzy score to match the pounding sport's improvisational nature. (They say everyone's got a plan till they get punched in the face, so just imagine what happens when they get punched over and over and over.)
Not all the swings land in "The Smashing Machine." Which is fine, given how hard Johnson hits (and gets hit) with this fascinating shift in his acting. Going to the mat here with the role of his life – so far at least – shows a performer whose true potential we're just now finally seeing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Smashing Machine' finds Dwayne Johnson in his Oscar-ready era
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