The Smashing Machine is a 2025 biographical sports drama directed by Benny Safdie, starring Dwayne Johnson as real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr, and focusing on his tumultuous career and personal struggles from 1997 to 2000. The film explores the brutal early days of professional fighting, Kerr’s rise to the top of the sport, his battle with opioid addiction, and his volatile relationship with his then-girlfriend, Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt). It portrays Kerr as a gentle giant whose inner demons are in stark contrast to his formidable power in the ring.
Time – “These characters don’t always behave as we want them to; they feel lived-in, not written, with flaws and attributes that chime with things we see in our family, our friends, ourselves.” (full review here)
BBC – “It’s touching to see this icon of athleticism and positivity in a melancholy film which asks whether training for a championship is really worth the effort.” (full review here)
