Lede
A24 handed Johnson a character. He handed back sweat, silence, and a career-low weekend.
What does not make sense
- The anti-biopic stance keeps you outside the cage when you came for blood. Artsy ropes in the frame, big feelings off screen.
- Dawn gets more shading than most “wife” roles but still orbits the fighter. Blunt does the work. The script keeps her on a leash.
- Awards buzz one week. Box office face-plant the next. Swift’s album party bodied the bout.
- You can feel the prestige machine grinding. Fewer quips, more pain. It works, yet somehow still feels like a trailer for an Oscar reel.
Synopsis roast: The Smashing Machine (2025)
Mark Kerr rises, smashes, numbs the pain, and burns through love, money, and mind. Safdie shoots from the outside. The fights are jagged memories, not hero moments. It is a film about addiction and damage, dressed in sweat and tape. If you want to watch Dwayne Johnson with hair, or just want the early UFC myth, you will get enough. If you want triumph, not here.
Sense check / The numbers
- Writer-director Benny Safdie. Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr. Emily Blunt as Dawn. A24 release. 123 minutes.
- World premiere Venice competition on 1 Sep 2025. Silver Lion. Fifteen-minute ovation. US release 3 Oct 2025.
- Opening weekend about $6m domestic. Topped by Taylor Swift’s one-weekend event at $33m.
- Critics positive on Johnson’s serious turn and Safdie’s distance-shooting “anti-biopic” style.
- Context: based on HBO’s 2002 documentary of the same name about Kerr’s rise and addiction spiral.
The sketch
Scene one: IMAX lobby. Poster glowers. Viewer: “Came for punches. Got point of view.”
Scene two: Ringside above-shot. Ropes slice the frame. Someone whispers: “We are not invited in.”
Scene three: Box office board. Taylor at the top. Kerr at six. A24 sighs.
What to watch, not the show
- Safdie’s choice to keep violence at a remove and sit in the comedown.
- How awards narratives hype a performance while the audience shrugs.
- The “wife problem” in prestige biopics. Talent fenced by the man’s story.
- Early UFC as a working-class hustle. Brutal craft before brand.
Why worth seeing it
- You want to see Dwayne Johnson with hair and a real character, not a quip machine.
- You like the bones of early UFC and the mess behind the glory.
- You’ve got Cineworld Unlimited and two hours to burn.
Worth seeing at cinema
Yes if you have time to lose, have Cineworld Unlimited, or want Johnson in a different gear.
Otherwise wait for streaming. Sofa. Pause. Tea.
The Hermit take
Prestige can sand the teeth off sport.
This one wins on bruises and loses on buzz.
Keep or toss
Keep for craft-watchers and Unlimited holders.
Toss for the pay-per-ticket crowd. Wait.
The Smashing Machine (2025) | Official Trailer HD | A24
Sources
Wikipedia – film page, credits, runtime, A24 release, Venice prize: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smashing_Machine_(2025_film)
RogerEbert.com – “anti-biopic” approach and outside-the-ring framing: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-smashing-machine-tiff-dwayne-johnson-film-review-2025
Rotten Tomatoes – critic snapshot and consensus: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_smashing_machine_2025
People – box office vs Taylor Swift ($33m vs $6m): https://people.com/taylor-swift-release-party-of-a-showgirl-beats-dwayne-johnson-smashing-machine-box-office-top-spot-11823437
Barron’s – box office recap (Swift #1, $6m debut): https://www.barrons.com/articles/taylor-swift-showgirl-movies-box-office-b697d3f6
Variety – Venice world-premiere ovation: https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/the-rock-venice-smashing-machine-premiere-standing-ovation-1236493253/
The Guardian – Kerr, the doc, and film framing: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/04/mark-kerr-smashing-machine-dwayne-johnson-the-rock-film
Wikipedia – 2002 HBO documentary background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smashing_Machine:_The_Life_and_Times_of_Extreme_Fighter_Mark_Kerr
GeekTyrant – positive review of Johnson’s performance: https://geektyrant.com/news/review-the-smashing-machine-sees-dwayne-johnson-disappear-into-his-best-performance-yet
Fox News – review praising Johnson’s dramatic turn: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/the-smashing-machine-review-dwayne-johnson-flexes-his-acting-muscles-gritty-biopic-ufc-legend