'The Smashing Machine' Early Reactions Are In...
03/30/2025 05:00 PM
Uh-oh.
A biopic chronicling the life of two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is slated to hit theaters later this year. Yet early reactions suggest audiences are in for a head-scratcher.
Jordan Ruimy of WorldofReel.com dropped a report this week based on whispers he's picked up—and the outlook isn't promising.
"A month ago, Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine screened for a lucky few. I kept quiet about it. However, it's now screened again, and judging by what I've heard, there's zero doubt in my mind that people are not ready for the type of film in store," Ruimy wrote.
"I'm told what Safdie has concocted in The Smashing Machine is 'indescribable in tone and style' and that it 'almost plays like a spoof of the biopic genre.' In other words, The Smashing Machine is 'gonzo filmmaking' and not Oscar bait in the least," Ruimy added.
"Dwayne Johnson's performance runs tonally opposite to the film's odd style—'It's as if his performance belongs in a different movie,' one attendee told me. In other words, The Smashing Machine is not the film any of us expected it to be," Ruimy concluded. "Although described as a 'biopic' of beloved MMA fighter Mark Kerr, this is not a conventional take on his life."
The Smashing Machine was meant to be The Rock's ticket to an Academy Award nod—a lifeline to get him out of his current garbage movie slump. For now, that seems like wishful thinking.
If you're familiar with Benny Safdie's work, picturing him helm a raw, emotional biopic about Kerr's life never quite added up. Perhaps expectations were inflated from the get-go.
The real red flag? The Rock's performance reportedly feels out of sync with the film's vision. Is this Safdie struggling to draw the right notes from his star, or Johnson's ego steering him off course?
A trailer might eventually shed light on what The Smashing Machine is trying to achieve. Until then, temper your expectations.
