The Rock Wows Critics with Stunning Performance in ‘The Smashing Machine’
Dwayne Johnson is earning widespread praise for his role in The Smashing Machine, the new biographical sports drama directed by Benny Safdie.
The film follows the life of UFC legend Mark Kerr, nicknamed “The Smashing Machine,” with Emily Blunt starring as his wife, Dawn Staples. Johnson, long known for his action-packed blockbuster roles, has taken on a far more dramatic and emotional part in this film, and early reviews suggest it may be the most transformative performance of his career.
The story traces Kerr’s rise through the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships while exploring his personal struggles with addiction and emotional challenges.
Johnson reportedly underwent extensive preparation to fully embody the two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. Supporting roles are played by Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk, along with a cast of other real-life fighters brought to the screen.
Critics at Venice, where the film premiered in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, are already calling Johnson’s performance a career-defining moment.
Excited to share the official trailer for Benny Safdie’s THE SMASHING MACHINE, starring Dwayne Johnson and Academy Award nominee Emily Blunt. In theaters October 3rd. pic.twitter.com/PPoF9r0uYR
— WWE (@WWE) April 29, 2025
“The Smashing Machine may not provide the pay-offs that audiences expect from more conventional sports movies, but this is the most raw and vulnerable that Johnson has ever been on screen,” wrote The Independent.
The Daily Telegraph also praised the film’s style, noting that “Maceo Bishop’s nimble photography has the sweat and grit of a vintage muscle flick… yet the score by Nala Sinephro is all swirling harps and breathy saxophones. As an accompaniment to Kerr’s battles, it’s oddly perfect.”
Variety suggested that Johnson has reinvented himself entirely: “Johnson, shifting his whole aspect (he seems like a new actor), invests that silent, moody, hidden side of Mark with a quality of mystery. He gives an extraordinary performance… The movie is about how this man-machine becomes a human being.”
The Hollywood Reporter compared Johnson’s performance to Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler: “Johnson has rarely played a loser, but he manages to go deep here without overdoing it, killing the audience with kindness as a benign warrior who suffers from one scene to the next… he delivers an intoxicating mix of blood, sweat, tears, protein and total helplessness.”
The film, which will be released in the United States by A24 on October 3, 2025, has already received positive reviews on aggregator sites, with an 89% Tomatometer rating based on 18 critic reviews.
Dwayne Johnson has shown he is more than just an action star. His work in The Smashing Machine demonstrates emotional depth and range, and it will be interesting to see if this role cements his place as a serious dramatic actor. Do you think Johnson can make the leap from blockbuster hero to award-winning actor? Share your thoughts in the comments.
