FILM REVIEW
THE SMASHING MACHINE
Rated R
123 Minutes
Released October 3rd
Dwayne Johnson can act! In this biographical film, Johnson’s body language, facial expressions and voice personify his character, groundbreaking MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter “Mark Kerr,” through a crucial three years of his life in the late 1990’s, which was for the fighter a period of euphoric success, desolation, desperation and a struggle to gain control. This film emphasizes dramatically the key to winning MMA fights, leave your emotion home and come to the ring focused on the win. Often the competitors brutally fighting one another in the ring, or cage, are great friends outside of it.
This movie contains many beautifully shot scenes that are surprising in their impact. One such scene is centers on Kerr’s girlfriend, “Dawn,” played artfully by Emily Blunt. In an ironic twist of personalities, we find that Kerr, who fears no challenger in a fight, is afraid to go on a centrifuge twister ride at a carnival, but Dawn is determined to go on it, so she does the ride herself. The camera dwells on her as she finds the courage to let loose and feel the lightness of being pulled against the walls of the machine, while Kerr stands outside and watches, unable to gather that kind of surrender to unfamiliar forces.
Kazu Hiro, the Oscar-winning makeup artist who turned Bradley Cooper into “Leonard Bernstein” in Maestro (2023), performed the magic of turning Johnson into an uncanny resemblance of Kerr. Johnson also lost 60 pounds to play the fighter. When Johnson first walked onto the set as Kerr, Blunt gasped, she was so stunned by the physical transformation. The psychological part of the makeover was all Johnson’s skill. To be sure, a small part of that was easy, as both men started out as wrestlers and body builders, but Johnson seems to really feel the fighter’s psyche.
Kerr dreamt from childhood of being a great wrestler. He won wrestling championships in high school in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, and in college at Syracuse University, and competed internationally. He became interested in MMA as a source of income using his skill as a fighter, with his longtime friend and training partner, Mark Coleman, who is a main character in this film. In 2002, HBO aired a documentary about Kerr called The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr.
Kerr describes this year’s film as being “therapeutic,” and he is happy that the film honestly depicts his struggles with painkillers and how his addiction touched everyone around him, including his relationship with Dawn. Kerr did tell his director, Benny Safdie, that Dawn was the more fearless of the two. The way he describes it is, “As bad a dude as I am, really this (a carousel) is more my speed.” Kerr has been battling peripheral neuropathy since 2016, but he appeared with his signature wide smile on the Red Carpet for The Smashing Machine premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2025.
Director Benny Safdie has been an actor, writer, editor and producer as well as director. He has helmed many films alongside his brother Josh Safdie and usually edits their films as well. He notes that The Smashing Machine explores “that struggle to come to peace with yourself, to become aware of who you are.”
The cast makes the film sing. “I wanted to not only challenge myself but listen to my gut. To really rip myself open,” Johnson said in an interview. Blunt plays Dawn as full of life, independent, and as much of a fighter in her personality as is Kerr. Ryan Bader, who plays Coleman, is not only an MMA fighter but also has a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is a natural as an actor and believable in this role as the calming force in Kerr’s life. Kerr’s real trainer, Bas Ruten portrays himself.
Watching fights is not my thing, but I’m glad I saw this film because of the skill with which it was made. The fight choreography, camera work, and editing are exceptional as is the musical track by Nala Sinephro. The realism of the movie is uncommon, since in addition to being actors, Johnson and Bader are also real fighters.
At the 2025 Venice Film Festival, the movie was nominated for Best Film and won for Best Director. At the end of the festival screening, it received a 15-minute standing ovation, during which it is reported that Johnson shed tears. I like to step back from all the noise and gossip about a film and experience it on its own merits. I’m glad I did so with The Smashing Machine. Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
