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The Smashing Machine poster
7.5
A24 Acclaimed

The Smashing Machine

The Smashing Machine · A24 Biopics Collection

2025 123 min R
Critic7.5
Biography Drama Sport
A24 Apple TV FindEdition
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

Set at the peak of the no-holds-barred era of MMA, legendary fighter Mark Kerr struggles with addiction, personal demons, and a turbulent relationship with his girlfriend Dawn Staples.
Story 7.4
Acting 8.7
Direction 8.2
Cinematography 7.9
Music 7.2
Pacing 7.3
Originality 7.8
Emotional Impact 8.0
Overall 7.5

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

7.5 /10

Transformational Lead Performance

Dwayne Johnson delivers the best and most vulnerable performance of his career, backed by Kazu Hiro's stunning prosthetics.

Raw Athletic Direction

Benny Safdie captures the claustrophobic and brutal intensity of the early no-holds-barred fighting era.

Pros

  • Career-best, transformational dramatic performance by Dwayne Johnson
  • Strong supporting work by Emily Blunt
  • Gritty, grounded direction capturing the early brutal era of MMA

Cons

  • Screenplay structure can feel repetitive during dramatic beats
  • Commercial box office performance fell well below expectations
Verdict A gritty, visceral, and deeply human biographical drama featuring a career-defining transformational lead performance by Dwayne Johnson.

AI Review

A visceral and gritty biographical sports drama directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA champion Mark Kerr.

A gritty, visceral, and deeply human biographical drama featuring a career-defining transformational lead performance by Dwayne Johnson.

Essential viewing for fans of gritty sports biopics, A24 dramas, and intense character studies.

Awards

Venice Film Festival

Silver Lion for Best Director (Benny Safdie) · Won

Academy Awards

Best Actor (Dwayne Johnson) · Nominated

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Festival
Status
Development

Introduced by A24 at Cannes with Dwayne Johnson and Benny Safdie collaborating on the biopic.

Principal photography

Shot on location across New Mexico, Vancouver, and Tokyo.

Post-production

Completed in mid-2025 ahead of its competition premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Venice Film Festival

Silver Lion for Best Director (Benny Safdie) Won

Academy Awards

Best Actor (Dwayne Johnson) Nominated

Production

Development

Introduced by A24 at Cannes with Dwayne Johnson and Benny Safdie collaborating on the biopic.

Principal photography

Shot on location across New Mexico, Vancouver, and Tokyo.

Post-production

Completed in mid-2025 ahead of its competition premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Streaming

A24 Apple TV FindEdition

Cast

Dwayne Johnson Mark Kerr
Emily Blunt Dawn Staples
Ryan Bader Mark Coleman
Bas Rutten Bas Rutten
Oleksandr Usyk Igor Vovchanchyn

Characters

Mark Kerr Dwayne Johnson
Dawn Staples Emily Blunt
Mark Coleman Ryan Bader
Bas Rutten Bas Rutten
Igor Vovchanchyn Oleksandr Usyk

Crew

Benny Safdie Director
Benny Safdie Screenwriter
Benny Safdie Producer
Dwayne Johnson Producer
Dany Garcia Producer
Hiram Garcia Producer
David Koplan Producer
Eli Bush Producer
Kazu Hiro Prosthetics Designer

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. Octagon Overture — Original Score
  2. Mark Kerr's Journey — Original Score

Trivia

  • Dwayne Johnson underwent an incredible physical transformation utilizing multi-Academy Award-winning prosthetics designer Kazu Hiro.
  • This film marks Benny Safdie's directorial debut working independently without his brother Joshua Safdie.
  • Real-life boxing and fighting champions like Oleksandr Usyk and Bas Rutten joined the cast to portray historic opponents.

Quotes

"Inside the ring, you fight your opponent. Outside, you fight yourself."

"The heaviest weight to carry is your own legacy."

Goofs

  • During the 1999 tournament match sequence, arena sponsorship banners in the background feature modern logo updates from later decades.

Community

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Collections

Part of A24 Biopics Collection

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Universe

The Smashing Machine Biography

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Franchise

The Smashing Machine

A standalone biographical sports drama film distributed by A24.

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Recommendations & Alternatives

For higher ratings, consider Bring Her Back (7.9/10). A similarly themed alternative is The Monkey.

Higher Rated

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AI Recommendation Insight

A visceral and gritty biographical sports drama directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA champion Mark Kerr. Similar picks: Shared Cast