Dwayne Johnson has been in the public eye for more than 25 years now, first debuting in the WWF as Rocky Maivia before emerging as The Rock. He quickly became one of the most famous faces in all of professional wrestling before switching gears to a film career in Hollywood. Throughout the 2000’s and 2010’s, Johnson’s cinematic footprint shot him into the stratosphere of celebrity with roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, as well as blockbuster hits such as the Jumanji reboots, Disney’s Moana and starring vehicles like San Andreas and Central Intelligence. Despite notable performances in off-kilter films like Pain & Gain, Southland Tales and a brief, but highly memorable cameo in The Other Guys, Johnson has relied on his star power over choosing great projects. Recent films like Jungle Cruise, Red One and the awful Netflix tentpole Red Notice have all showcased a leading man who refuses to challenge himself. Nothing could have prepared Johnson for the outright rejection of his DC project Black Adam, which saw the actor/producer attempt to take over the DC universe only to fall flat on his face. Now, after a string of box office disappointments, Johnson has teamed with multi-hyphenate talent and filmmaker Benny Safdie, one half of the Safide Brothers, behind such eclectic, heart-racing works such as Uncut Gems and Good Time to tell the true story of UFC fighter Mark Kerr. It appears as though Johnson is finally ready to challenge himself again as an actor, backing a picture that can allow him to play to his strengths as both a leading man and a professional athlete. While this latest film suffers from an uneven narrative focus, it stands as an exquisitely acted and directed glimpse inside an unsung hero in the world of mixed martial arts.
Courtesy A24
Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) is a celebrated MMA fighter who has never lost a professional fight. With his devoted girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) at his side, Mark takes part in the Pride Fighting Championship in Japan where mixed martial arts is becoming more and more popular before the boom of the sport in America. Despite his violent profession, Mark is a gentle, soft-spoken man who treats others around him with kindness. In an early scene, Mark is in a waiting room at the doctor’s office when an elderly woman asks him about what he does. He very politely explains his work and that both men in the ring do not hate each other, but have great respect for one another and their only goal is to hurt the other man before they hurt him. Mark is asked at one point by a reporter “how would you deal with losing?” to which Mark explains he can’t even imagine what that would be like. Losing is not something he is familiar with. Yet, after a needless argument with Dawn before his main event, Mark goes out and loses his fight. Attempting to cope with the humiliation and pain of losing, Mark becomes addicted to painkillers, sending his life in a spiral as he attempts to make a comeback.
Written and directed by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine subverts the typical expectations of a sports biopic, aiming for a gritty sense of realism over feel-good genre cliches. Set between 1997 and 2000, before UFC fighters were world-famous and made millions of dollars, Safdie’s film explores the daily struggles of a fighter who’s not a household name and struggles with everyday elements of life. After his big loss, Mark looks for stronger pain medication, quickly becoming hooked on opioids to numb through the pain. His addiction causes a rift in his relationship with Dawn who sees Mark slowly turn into a shell of the man she first loved. Safdie’s docudrama style of filmmaking allows the audience to feel like they’re in the room during Mark’s most tortured moments. Beautifully shot on 16mm, this filmmaking perspective creates a sense of intimacy that is both bracing and even a bit startling. Safdie never lets his camera enter the ring, keeping the audience on the outside during Mark’s brutal, hard-hitting fights. This creates a visceral impact as the audience is left as helpless as Dawn or Mark’s peers.
In a role that has been met with plenty of awards buzz, Johnson delivers a magnificent performance, fully shedding the ego and personality audiences around the world have come to know (and grow slightly tired of) in recent years. We first see Mark Kerr in fuzzy VHS footage as he’s about to enter a fight and whatever expectations the audience might have about Johnson’s work are quickly dashed. Mark is an enormous physical presence, hulking over every non-fighter around him. He is a physical specimen at the height of his powers, yet Johnson finds the balance of humanity and vulnerability amidst his larger-than-life physique. While aided by impeccable make-up work by two-time Oscar-winner Kazu Hiro, you never quite feel Johnson “acting”, which is perhaps the highest compliment one can give to a starring performance in a biopic. Within minutes, you forget you’re watching one of the most famous people on the planet and are only seeing Mark Kerr.
Courtesy A24
Throughout the film, we witness Mark’s grace in dealing with other fighters — whom he shares an almost brotherly bond with — as well as MMA fans and casual people around him. He deeply loves Dawn and wants to build a life with her, but he is so enamored with being the best fighter possible, he struggles to connect with her and the minutia of everyday home life. His opioid addiction reduces him to a husk of his former self, leading to many thorny confrontations with his partner. Mark states to an interviewer “if we don’t keep our emotions in check, our anxieties and fears will get the best of us”, which is precisely what his addiction does to him. Johnson masterfully embodies Mark’s inner torment that is often gut-wrenching to witness. The mega-star is able to dig into specific emotional depths that even I, a longtime wrestling fan and film lover who owned the VHS tape of The Mummy Returns as a kid, did not think he was capable of.
The radiant Emily Blunt gives the underwritten Dawn a much-needed beating heart. Dawn and Mark’s relationship woes are where the film gets the closest to achieving greatness. A portrayal of a relationship in shambles that delves into prickly themes of co-dependency, selfishness and self-doubt, the drama at the center of the film feels both authentic and complex. Blunt and Johnson, who starred together in the mediocre 2021 Jungle Cruise film, bring out the best in each other, clearly showcasing a trust and commitment to one another that allows both performances to flourish. However, despite the riveting performances, The Smashing Machine is frustratingly enigmatic with its lack of insight into their personal lives outside of the ring and each other’s orbit. We’re not given any context into Mark’s family life outside of Dawn and what Dawn’s life was like before she was with Mark.
While Safdie’s attempts at side-stepping sports movie cliches are admirable, there are no euphoric training montages or inspirational third act speeches, this causes the narrative focus to lose its way. Safdie is trying to weave together both a gritty sports drama about clawing your way back from rock bottom, a story about a relationship on the brink and a spotlight on the bond between fighters who are the only ones that can relate to each other. The narrative simply feels too fractured to make its climactic emotional beats land with the intended blow. When the film shifts away from Blunt’s Dawn and prioritizes Mark’s close friend, fellow fighter Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), you can practically feel the air get sucked out of the film as Coleman, a good friend and devoted family man, just isn’t as compelling a character.
Courtesy A24
The Smashing Machine‘s frustrating narrative flaws hold back what could have a genuine knockout, but is still a worthwhile piece of cinema thanks to a transformative and magnificent performance by Dwayne Johnson. Aided by a commanding supporting turn from Emily Blunt, writer/director Benny Safdie crafts a raw and intimate look at a fighter struggling with his own demons in the pursuit of being the best in the world. For all the grief that Johnson has received over the years, this is a clear sign that he is an actor worthy and capable enough of delivering truly extraordinary work.
The Smashing Machine is now playing in theaters.
This looks excellent, and Johnson seems destined for an Oscar nomination