As Mark Kerr, an early UFC and mixed martial arts fighter from the late 1990s, Dwayne Johnson's appearance is strange, featuring a somewhat oddly shaped head, and a bulky torso that nearly dwarves his underdeveloped legs. But he is polite enough, a gentle giant who speaks softly to reporters and the occasional fan. At one point he becomes addicted to opioids, an internal battle that, ironically, turns out to be the main psychological obstacle. Meanwhile, Kerr's girlfriend, Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt), is attractive, supportive, but often gets the blunt of his unwarranted frustrations.
"The Smashing Machine" is, ultimately, just an extension of its mundane trailer. Filmed on a gritty, nostalgic 16mm film stock, it features a transformed Johnson, hoping to elevate this most dramatic performance of his career and carry it into the late 2025 awards season. Given the film's lack of emotional depth and its one-dimensional characters, I doubt that anyone involved in it will be rewarded - unfortunately.
Writer/director Benny Safdie has made better movies (Good Time, Uncut Gems), and will undoubtedly make them again. "Machine" is his most ambitious failure yet, a missed opportunity that will be forgotten by the time the year's last leaf falls.
☆1/2
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