The Smashing Machine: A bittersweet victory 

Directed, written, produced and edited by Benny Safdie 

Starring: Dwayn Johnson and Emily Blunt 

★★★½  

With The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie makes his solo directorial debut — and it’s immediately clear what he brought to his decade-long creative partnership with his brother, Josh. This biopic of MMA pioneer Mark Kerr is unlike any other, thanks largely to Benny’s uncompromising commitment to realism and his refusal to dramatize or sensationalize the true story. 

Dwayne Johnson — notably dropping his wrestling moniker, The Rock — delivers the most transformative and affecting performance of his career. Many doubted whether Johnson had this kind of role in him, but he proves them wrong with a portrayal that is both physically grueling and emotionally raw. Buried beneath prosthetics and added bulk, Johnson disappears into the role — but his real achievement lies in his vulnerability. He doesn’t perform the role so much as inhabit it, channeling the deep psychological toll that chasing greatness can take on a person. It’s no surprise that Oscar buzz has already begun to swirl — this is a performance that feels earned, not engineered. 

Behind the camera, Benny Safdie does it all: directing, writing, editing, and producing. He employs a vérité style that places the viewer uncomfortably close to Kerr during his most private and painful moments. At times, it feels like we’re seeing something we shouldn’t — a deeply intimate, almost invasive look at a man unraveling. That unease is the film’s strength, elevating it far beyond the standard sports biopic many might expect. 

Still, the film’s steadfast realism may prove divisive. While Safdie was awarded the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival, how the film plays with general audiences is still uncertain. There’s a chance that its refusal to embellish real-life events could leave some viewers underwhelmed or emotionally distanced. 

Yet The Smashing Machine feels like a milestone — not just for Kerr’s legacy, but for both Johnson and Safdie, who seem poised on the brink of their own creative apexes. With Josh Safdie’s upcoming Marty Supreme also on the horizon, one can’t help but wonder how each brother’s vision will stack up. If Good Time and Uncut Gems were the visceral, chaotic energy of collaboration, The Smashing Machine shows what Benny brings solo: restraint, intimacy, and a deep respect for the truth. 

Time will tell which brother reigns supreme come awards season.