The Smashing Machine
In the late 1990s, an emerging mixed martial arts prodigy named Mark Kerr sets his sights on becoming the world's greatest fighter. But he must also battle opioid dependence and navigate a volatile relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn.
Director(s)
Benny Safdie
Misha Bukowski
Hannah Christine Kess
Silver Butler
Joel Cyr
David Tierney Lerner
Peter McGrew
Hannah Broad
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CinemaSerf
Mickey O’Rourke had a go in 2008 and Orlando Bloom earlier this year in “The Cut”, so now it’s the turn of Dwayne Johnson to bulk up and out to deliver a biopic of UFC pioneer Mark Kerr. This is all set at a time when he can make a living for himself and girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) but there are no Ferraris and swimming pools for them. For that he has to win the Grand Prix in Japan and that involves his embarking on the ultimate in fitness and endurance regimes, aided by his own chemical romances that frequently seem to render him little better than catatonic. Domestic dysfunction ensues as he has to face up to his responsibilities and settle his priorities before what he has comes crumbling down. It’s a true story, but it just didn’t engage me at all. Johnson comes across well as the amiable and dedicated athlete, but a film about any sport that requires a rule change to ban eye gouging was probably never really going to work for me. The fight scene are sparing, occasionally graphic, and they do convey just how brutal this mixed martial arts combat can be, but the characterisations here are just all too sterile to engage. Whilst Kerr comes across as a decent human being, Blunt’s performance doesn’t really make anything like enough impact as it trundles along without much from the dialogue to make me care. Tangentially, it does quite enjoyably poke some fun at the inanity and banality of sport’s broadcasting punditry and I didn’t hate it, but I’ll probably never watch it again.
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The Rock Got a Concussion Shooting This Scene! #movies
The Fight Scene That Left Emily Blunt on the Floor Drinking Tequila #movies
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt Reunite for Benny Safdie's New Film 'The Smashing Machine'
The Smashing Machine | Interview with Benny Safdie
The Smashing Machine | Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt Play 2000s Trivia | A24
Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt talk The Smashing Machine
The Smashing Machine | Oleksandr Usyk, Mark Kerr, Ryan Bader and Bas Rutten Try Origami | A24
The Smashing Machine 2000 Arcade | Official Promo | A24
THE SMASHING MACHINE Cast and Crew Q&A | TIFF 2025
