The Smashing Mashine (2025)
Directed by Benny Safdie
[Rated R] 2hr 3min
★★★½
The Smashing Machine is a sports drama biopic about about the career of Mark Kerr, a pioneer of mixed martial arts. It depicts important events in his life from 1997 to 2000 and highlights the significant ways in which his career and personal relationships affected each other.
This is a solid film that’s held together with excellent performances. The narrative is pretty basic and doesn’t offer anything new in terms of its storytelling, but it’s still interesting enough from a historical viewpoint to prevent it from becoming a dull experience. The acting, however, is the main standout that elevates the film from being just another formulaic biopic. Dwayne Johnson completely transforms into Mark Kerr with a career best performance, and Emily Blunt is fantastic in her versatile role. They easily carry the film together and keep it engaging even when the screenplay falters. The visual style is also notable because the cinematography and color grading in certain moments appear very documentary-like, which further amplifies the realism of the film.
I recommend The Smashing Machine to anyone who is interested in MMA history or enjoys watching strong performances in movies. While the subject matter may be a little too niche for many people to get initially invested in, the acting alone makes watching the film worth while.
The Smashing Machine is now playing in theaters. Click here to watch the Official Trailer.
– Review by Will Hopper