There’s a scene somewhere in the middle of The Smashing Machine that involves a knife, a cactus and a mild disagreement. It’s a light argument plenty of the audience will be familiar with. It’s likely ...

A24’s version takes a different approach. Director Benny Safdie, in his first solo directorial effort, draws from that documentary while expanding on Kerr’s inner world. Safdie worked closely with ...

“The Smashing Machine” is exactly what you would expect watching a former WWE wrestling superstar portray a mixed martial arts pioneer. Built as a showcase for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who also ...

When the first images from the biographical sports drama film The Smashing Machine were released and revealed Dwayne Johnson's stunning physical transformation for his performance as former amateur ...

Dwayne Johnson has ignited serious Oscar conversation with his transformative performance in “The Smashing Machine,” marking a dramatic departure that has Venice Film Festival critics reconsidering ...

A24’s “The Smashing Machine” is here. Benny Safdie’s latest, and first solo directorial project, follows Mark Kerr (played, fearlessly, by Dwayne Johnson) a pioneering UFC fighter in its early days, ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Simon is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers film and TV. Although biographical sports drama The Smashing Machine is based ...

The Smashing Machine (2025) Film Review from the 50th Annual Toronto International Film Festival, a movie directed and written by Benny Safdie, and starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Lyndsey Gavin, ...

The new A24 drama The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson represents more than another sports biopic. It delivers a raw and emotional retelling of one of the most fascinating lives in ...

Opinions are the author’s alone and not endorsed by 2 NEWS and/or Nexstar Media Group. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — In “The Smashing Machine,” we learn many things but one stands out more than the rest: ...