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The Smashing Machine (2025 film)

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Not to be confused with The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr.

The Smashing Machine
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBenny Safdie
Written byBenny Safdie
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMaceo Bishop
Edited byBenny Safdie
Music byNala Sinephro
Production
companies
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • September 1, 2025 (2025-09-01) (Venice)
  • October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) (United States)
Running time
123 minutes[1]
Country
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million[2][3]
Box office$21.1 million[4][5]

The Smashing Machine is a 2025 American biographical sports drama film, written and directed by Benny Safdie. It stars Dwayne Johnson as former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, alongside Emily Blunt as Kerr's girlfriend, with Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Oleksandr Usyk in supporting roles.

The Smashing Machine premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2025, where it won the Silver Lion. It was released in the United States on October 3 by A24, and received generally positive reviews from critics. The film was a box office bomb, grossing $21 million against a $50 million budget.

It was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 98th Academy Awards.[6] At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, Johnson was nominated for Best Actor and Blunt was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Plot

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The film begins in 1997 with an interview of Mark Kerr, who explains to the interviewer his success in Ultimate Fighting Championship, before he leaves for his next bout.

In 1999, Mark is at home with his girlfriend, Dawn, with whom he shares a complicated relationship. Mark scolds her lightly for making a bulking shake incorrectly, but then apologizes. He prepares for a fight while being coached by Mark Coleman, and stumbles in and out of narcotic painkiller use while meeting Japanese officials regarding his pay.

Mark sits in his locker room in a vaguely altered state due to the painkillers, when he and Dawn begin to argue. After losing his latest fight drastically, he quietly leaves to his locker room and begins sobbing. Back home, his relationship with Dawn further deteriorates and he overdoses the next morning. Coleman visits him and tells him that he needs to change, which Mark agrees with. He begins rehab, which strains his relationship with Dawn, eventually resulting in her leaving and Mark leaving to camp with Bas Rutten.

Mark does extremely well under the coaching of Bas, getting into peak shape, and winning his first fight since the overdose. He eventually reconciles with Dawn, which, to the dismay of Bas, results in Mark leaving camp. Mark and Dawn later have a falling out over her hedonistic habits, resulting in Mark breaking up with Dawn and asking her to leave. A distraught Dawn attempts suicide, resulting in her going into care. In Japan, a distracted Mark loses his next fight brutally, as he has flashbacks of Dawn and other moments of his life and career.

With Mark's encouragement, Coleman eventually wins the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, while Mark receives stitches. He sits in the shower, smiling and laughing, content at his loss. In a flash forward to 2025, the real Mark Kerr is shown shopping at a grocery store in Scottsdale. It is revealed in epilogue, as he makes his way through the parking lot, that he and Dawn got married 10 days after his loss at the 2000 Grand Prix, were married for six years and had a son, that he retired in 2009, and while mostly unknown today, is one of the most influential pioneers in the MMA world. At the end of the epilogue, he bids goodbye to the audience, gets in his car, and leaves.

Cast

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The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in shared leading roles.

Production

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In November 2019, it was announced that Dwayne Johnson would star in and produce a biographical sports drama film based on the life and career of Mark Kerr.[7] In December 2023, it was announced that A24 would co-produce and distribute the film, with Benny Safdie writing and directing.[8] On the red carpet for 96th Academy Awards, Johnson confirmed that Emily Blunt would star in the film as Kerr's wife Dawn Staples.[9] Blunt was instrumental in connecting Safdie (her co-star in Oppenheimer) with Johnson (her co-star in Jungle Cruise).[10] Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Zoe Kosovic joined the cast in May 2024.[11][12]

Principal photography ran from May 21 to August 7, 2024,[13] spanning locations such as New Mexico, Tokyo, and Vancouver. The project was shot predominantly on 16mm film, with some scenes filmed using 70mm film as well as VHS cameras.[14][15] Johnson was paid $4 million to star in the film.[16]

Music

[edit]
Main article: The Smashing Machine (soundtrack)

In late 2024, Johnson tweeted that Belgian musician Nala Sinephro would compose the score.[17][18][19][20]

The film's score also includes the Cleaners from Venus track "Corridor of Dreams", which is played in its entirety during the pivotal scene in which Mark Kerr suffers a humbling loss.[21][22]

Release

[edit]

The first trailer for The Smashing Machine was released on April 29, 2025.[23] The film had its world premiere in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2025.[24] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2025.[25][26] It was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on October 3, 2025.[27]

Reception

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Box office

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The Smashing Machine grossed $11.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $9.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $21.1 million.[4][5]

In its opening weekend, the film debuted to just $5.8 million, finishing in third and marking the lowest opening weekend of Johnson's career.[28] This was attributed to limited demographic appeal, lackluster word-of-mouth, and a digital-centric advertisement campaign that failed to reach older adult audiences.[29][16] Johnson responded to the opening box office numbers with: "In our storytelling world, you can't control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity... Truth is this film has changed my life."[30]

Critical response

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Dwayne Johnson garnered critical praise for his performance.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 306 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Dwayne Johnson goes the distance with his transformative turn as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a gritty biopic that sidesteps cliché even at the expense of narrative satisfaction while still landing the dramatic body blows that count."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 56 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B-" on an A+ to F scale.[33]

Safdie was awarded the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival following its world premiere.[34]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Venice International Film Festival September 6, 2025 Golden Lion Benny Safdie Nominated [35]
Silver Lion Won
Savannah Film Festival October 1, 2025 Maverick Director Award Won [36]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society December 19, 2025 Best Supporting Actress Emily Blunt Nominated
North Texas Film Critics Association December 29, 2025 Best Actor Dwayne Johnson Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival January 3, 2026 Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award Dwayne Johnson Won [37]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 4, 2026 Best Makeup Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, and Mia Neal Nominated [38]
Astra Film Awards January 9, 2026 Best Actor – Drama Dwayne Johnson Nominated [39]
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards January 10, 2026 Best Actor Nominated [40]
Golden Globe Awards January 11, 2026 Best Actor – Drama Nominated [41]
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Emily Blunt Nominated
Black Reel Awards February 16, 2026 Outstanding Lead Performance Dwayne Johnson Pending
Outsanding Editing Benny Safdie Pending
Outstanding Hair and Makeup Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox & Mia Neal Pending
Outstanding Production Design James Chinlund, production designer; Marcia Calosio, Mike Keel & Frank Okay, set decorators Pending
Academy Awards March 15, 2026 Best Makeup and Hairstyling Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein Pending [42]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Smashing Machine (2025)". Irish Film Classification Office. September 1, 2025. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  2. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (September 30, 2025). "Taylor Swift to Rule Box Office Again as 'Showgirl' Aims for $35 Million Debut, Topping 'Smashing Machine'". Variety. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  3. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 28, 2025). "What's Up With The Fallout For Adult Upscale Movies At The Fall Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "The Smashing Machine". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "The Smashing Machine – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  6. ^ "The 98th Academy Awards | (2026)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  7. ^ Hipes, Patrick (November 1, 2019). "Dwayne Johnson To Star In And Produce Movie About UFC Champ Mark Kerr". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  8. ^ Gallupo, Mia (December 13, 2023). "Dwayne Johnson to Play MMA Fighter Mark Kerr in A24 Movie from Benny Safdie". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Ramos Bechara, Diego (March 10, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson Talks Reuniting With Emily Blunt for New MMA Drama, 'Possibly' Reteaming for 'Jungle Cruise 2'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Erbland, Kate (October 1, 2025). "A Chance Encounter on 'Oppenheimer' Made 'The Smashing Machine,' and Emily Blunt's Riveting Performance, a Reality". IndieWire. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  11. ^ Brown, Emily (May 21, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson is completely unrecognizable in new movie role leaving fans shocked". UNILAD. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  12. ^ Russell, Skylar (May 22, 2024). "Report: A24's 'The Smashing Machine' Targeting A December 2024 Release". Fightful. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  13. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie; Wiseman, Andreas (August 7, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson MMA Fighter Pic 'The Smashing Machine' Scores Deals For A24 As Shooting Wraps". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Wheaton, Timothy (September 9, 2025). "Watch The New Trailer for 'The Smashing Machine'". LowKick MMA. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  15. ^ CineShout (September 23, 2025). "The Smashing Machine: From VHS to 16mm to 65 mm, director Benny Safdie opens up about groundbreaking methodology in film". CineShout. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  16. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 6, 2025). "How Dwayne Johnson's 'Smashing Machine' Went Down For The Count As Star's Lowest Opening; Pic Will Bleed Little With $10M-$15M Loss". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  17. ^ Johnson, Dwayne [@TheRock] (May 14, 2024). "Every day. Working hard, learning, respecting and being a student of the game during this training camp. I'm a hard worker, but this is the hardest journey I've ever been on. Thank you for all your amazing support, it means the world to me. Grateful to grow, humbled by this challenge and honored to tell this story. #TheSmashingMachine written & directed by benny safdie A24 song by Nala Sinephro 🎼 (who's also composing the score of Smashing Machine)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Prasad, Sumith (March 2, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson's The Smashing Machine Starts Multi-Country Filming in May". The Cinemaholic. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  19. ^ Sharf, Zack (May 21, 2024). "'The Smashing Machine' First Look: Dwayne Johnson Transforms into MMA Icon Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie's A24 Drama". Variety. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  20. ^ Monroe, Jazz (July 22, 2025). "New Jim Jarmusch, Yorgos Lanthimos, Noah Baumbach, and Luca Guadagnino Films to Premiere at Venice Film Festival". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  21. ^ Woods, David (October 2, 2025). "Cult poet Martin Newell: 'I am the good granddad of rock 'n' roll'". The Big Issue. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
  22. ^ Deville, Chris (September 25, 2025). "Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine Has Nala Sinephro's First Score And A Cleaners From Venus Song Played In Full". Stereogum. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
  23. ^ Lee, Benjamin (April 29, 2025). "The Smashing Machine: Dwayne Johnson fights for an Oscar in first trailer". The Guardian. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  24. ^ "Venice Film Festival Screening Date". Objectif Festival. July 27, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  25. ^ "The Smashing Machine". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  26. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 21, 2025). "TIFF Galas & Presentations: World Premieres 'Good Fortune', 'Nuremberg', Sydney Sweeney Pic 'Christy', Angelina Jolie 'Couture'; North American Debuts Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein', Dwayne Johnson 'Smashing Machine'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  27. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 2, 2025). "Dwayne Johnson & Benny Safdie's Mark Kerr MMA Biopic 'The Smashing Machine' From A24 Busts Its Way Into Fall". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  28. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 6, 2025). "'Taylor Swift: Showgirl' Kicks Higher To $34M, Still An Anomaly For Album Pic Launch; Dwayne Johnson's Lowest Opening Ever 'The Smashing Machine' At $5.9M – Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  29. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (October 6, 2025). "6 Reasons Why Dwayne Johnson's 'The Smashing Machine' Was Knocked Out at the Box Office". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  30. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (October 6, 2025). "Dwayne Johnson Reacts to 'Smashing Machine' Flopping: "You Can't Control Box Office Results"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  31. ^ "The Smashing Machine". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 10, 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  32. ^ "The Smashing Machine". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  33. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (October 6, 2025). "6 Reasons Why Dwayne Johnson's 'The Smashing Machine' Was Knocked Out at the Box Office". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2025. with a tepid "B-" grade on CinemaScore exit polls.
  34. ^ Seth, Radhika (September 6, 2025). "All the Winners at the 2025 Venice Film Festival". Vogue. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  35. ^ Vivarelli, Nick; Shafer, Ellise (July 22, 2025). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia' With Emma Stone, Benny Safdie's 'Smashing Machine,' Luca Guadagnino's 'After the Hunt' and More". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  36. ^ "AwardsWatch - 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival Honorees Include Rose Byrne, Oscar Isaac, Dylan O'Brien and Tessa Thompson". AwardsWatch. October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  37. ^ William Earl (December 11, 2025). "Dwayne Johnson to Be Honored With Creative Impact in Acting Award From Variety at 2026 Palm Springs Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  38. ^ "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 31ST ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS HOSTED BY CHELSEA HANDLER – Critics Choice Association". Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  39. ^ Alter, Ethan (November 25, 2025). "'One Battle After Another' leads Astra Film Awards nominations". GoldDerby. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  40. ^ Hammond, Pete (November 19, 2025). "'One Battle After Another', 'Hamnet', 'A House Of Dynamite' Among AARP's Movies For Grownups Best Picture Nominees". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  41. ^ Hammond, Pete (November 19, 2025). "'One Battle After Another', 'Hamnet', 'A House Of Dynamite' Among AARP's Movies For Grownups Best Picture Nominees". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  42. ^ "The 98th Academy Awards | (2026)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
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