Is The Smashing Machine Worth Watching? Our Honest Review

This The Smashing Machine review starts with a simple point: Dwayne Johnson has never looked or sounded like this on screen. Benny Safdie's biopic follows UFC pioneer Mark Kerr through the sport's rough early years. It is more interested in the man's cracks than in his victories.

The Smashing Machine Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Smashing Machine plot is set in the late 1990s, when mixed martial arts is still a fringe spectacle. Mark Kerr is a rising fighter who wants to be the greatest in the world. He is dominant in the ring, but money is tight and the big prizes are still out of reach.

His life with girlfriend Dawn Staples is the other front. Kerr also struggles with an opioid dependence that hangs over his training and his home. The film watches how these pressures grind against each other rather than racing toward a trophy.

Benny Safdie wrote and directed the film, and it plays closer to a character study than a standard sports biography. Fight scenes matter, but they are not the main point.

What Works in The Smashing Machine

The film's best idea is contrast. Kerr looks like an unstoppable machine, yet away from the cage he comes across as tired, insecure and fragile. When Safdie stays close to that gap, the movie finds real feeling.

The approach is grounded and unglamorous. Instead of polished heroics, you get a drab, lived-in look at a sport still finding its feet. Some viewers have noted it feels leaner and cheaper than its budget suggests, but that rawness suits the era.

The pacing is deliberate. Some will call it a slow burn, and a few quiet scenes land harder than any bout.

• A restrained, human take on a sports legend

• Fight scenes that serve character first

• A period feel that avoids easy nostalgia

The Smashing Machine Cast and Performances

The Smashing Machine cast is led by Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr, and it is the main reason to watch. He is nearly unrecognizable. The heavy makeup helps, but the real change is in his stillness and the sadness he lets show. Early audience reactions are split on his range, yet many were surprised by how well he plays a man who barely lets emotion out.

Emily Blunt plays Dawn Staples, Kerr's girlfriend, and she brings volatility and warmth to the relationship at the story's center. Their scenes together carry much of the drama.

Ryan Bader appears as fellow fighter Mark Coleman, and viewers have singled him out as a strong supporting presence. The cast also features Bas Rutten as himself, Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn and Lyndsey Gavin as Elizabeth Coleman. Casting real fighters adds credibility to the gym and arena scenes.

Where The Smashing Machine Stumbles

The slow, observational style will not suit everyone. Anyone expecting a rousing underdog sports movie may feel the film holds back too much. Its drama can drift, and some stretches feel repetitive.

The film also leans on the idea that Kerr's pain is mostly internal, which can leave him hard to read. Viewers who want clear emotional peaks may find it flat. A few critics felt the production looks modest next to the ambition of the story.

It did not find a big audience either, and the audience score sits at a middling 6.4 out of 10. That fits a film with real strengths and clear limits.

Is The Smashing Machine Worth Watching?

Yes, if you want a sombre character drama more than a fight-night thrill ride. The performance by Johnson alone gives the film a reason to exist, and Blunt adds strong support.

The film is rated R and runs 123 minutes, and it is a patient watch. It is not a knockout, but it lands enough solid punches. Fans of action movie reviews who can adjust expectations will likely find it rewarding. For background on the real fighter and the production, see the film's IMDb page.

The film opened on 1 October 2025.

Who Will Enjoy The Smashing Machine

• Fans of grounded sports biopics that focus on the person, not the trophies

• Viewers curious to see Dwayne Johnson in a serious dramatic role

• MMA followers interested in the sport's early days