The Smashing Machine Movie Review (2025): Dwayne Johnson’s highly anticipated film, The Smashing Machine, is finally releasing. This movie is a biographical sports drama, and it’s one of the most awaited films of Dwayne Johnson’s career. Fans have been waiting for this movie for a long time, and now it’s finally coming to theaters. The Smashing Machine is directed by Benny Safdie, known for his work on Uncut Gems.
👎 Negative: 30%
This movie is directed by Benny Safdie, who gained significant recognition after Uncut Gems. The producers of this movie are Benny Safdie, Dwayne Johnson, Eli Bush, Hiram Garcia, and Dany Garcia.
It features a team of multiple producers, so it involved the hard work of many people. The cinematography is handled by Maceo Bishop and the music is by Nala Sinephro. The total runtime of the movie is 123 minutes, which is quite impressive.
The original language of this movie is English, and it’s a typical sports biopic drama that audiences love. This movie is rated R, meaning it will contain strong language and drug-related scenes.
The release date of this movie is October 3, 2025 (USA theaters). Its world premiere happened at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2025, followed by a screening at TIFF on September 8, 2025.
The cast of this movie includes Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr, who will be playing the role of an MMA fighter.
It will be interesting to see Dwayne Johnson in this role. Emily Blunt is playing the role of Mark Kerr’s partner/wife, Dawn Staples. Ryan Bader is playing Mark Coleman (a fellow fighter). Bas Rutten is playing himself.
Oleksandr Usyk is playing Igor Vovchanchyn. Supporting cast includes Lyndsey Gavin, Satoshi Ishii, James Moontasri, Yoko Hamamura, and many others.
Regarding the storyline of the movie The Smashing Machine, it is about the life of Mark Kerr, who was a professional wrestler and MMA fighter.
The film will showcase Mark Kerr’s journey from wrestling to MMA/UFC, and will also delve deeply into his struggle with drug addiction, providing viewers with a comprehensive understanding of his real life.
The timeline of the movie spans from the 1990s to the early 2000s, covering all the significant events that occurred during that period.
The main focus of the film will be the fights in the ring, but it will also explore the mental and emotional struggles outside the ring.
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The tone of this film will be gritty and realistic, which is not usually seen in typical mainstream movies.
The theme of this film is going to be raw and emotional, and the visuals will be stunning. The film will also explore the issue of addiction in great detail.
Dwayne Johnson The Smashing Machine Movie Review: The trailer for this highly anticipated film was released on April 29, 2025. According to critics (Variety, The Hollywood Reporter), this is an Oscar-worthy transformation.
Dwayne Johnson has delivered a performance that has left everyone stunned. He has never looked like this before, and everyone considers this transformation and performance to be one of his career-best.
Johnson’s transformation for this movie is quite interesting, especially his weight change and MMA training. He truly embodies the character, and his portrayal is convincing.
The movie received a 15-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere, which is a remarkable achievement. This new look of Dwayne Johnson on social media is going viral, and people are loving his new avatar.
Fans were quite surprised to see The Rock in this new look, and many memes about his new avatar are already circulating on social media, which is generating a lot of buzz and hype for the movie. The movie is already creating a lot of buzz among its audience, so it’s certain to be a blockbuster.
The movie is directed by Benny Safdie, who is known for his realistic and intense storytelling. In this movie, the director has tried to make the fight scenes very realistic, so that the audience feels like they are watching a real fight.
The cinematography of this movie is expected to be top-notch. We will also see the personal and emotional side of Mark Kerr — how he balances his personal life with his professional life, and how he fights with his emotions.
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How Kazu Hiro completely changed Dwayne Johnson’s look with prosthetics is also something to look forward to. The background music by Nala Sinephro will be intense and emotional, creating a tense atmosphere.
No official soundtrack has been released yet, so it’s difficult to say anything about the songs. The dialogues in this movie will be raw and emotional, and may be a little intense.
The film was shot in New Mexico, Tokyo, and Vancouver. The fight choreography was done by real MMA fighters to make the fights look realistic and authentic.
The budget for this movie has not yet been officially announced. However, it is expected to be an A24 film, and with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt involved, it will likely be a hit at film festivals.
The audience buzz is also very high, so based on expectations, this movie could perform very well and make a lot of money at the box office.
The actual box office numbers will only be available after its opening weekend, but even before that, the estimates suggest that this movie will perform strongly.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of critics liked the movie, and audiences are excited to watch it in theaters. It is said that this movie will feature The Rock’s most serious and best performance yet. Fans are saying that this is not just “The Rock the action star,” but “The Rock the actor.”
No controversies have surfaced regarding this movie yet, but since it is a biopic, there will likely be some questions about its factual accuracy.
Dwayne Johnson has mostly done action and comedy in the past, but here he is taking a serious dramatic turn. With his global fanbase and the growing popularity of MMA worldwide, this movie is expected to reach a massive audience. There is significant demand for this movie to be released in India as well, and dubbed versions are expected.
The OTT rights for The Smashing Machine have not yet been officially announced. However, based on A24’s past releases, we can expect the OTT release sometime in 2026.
This movie has already won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and Dwayne Johnson’s performance has created strong Oscar buzz.
Audience Review on The Smashing Machine
Fans are absolutely stunned after watching The Smashing Machine movie, calling it a career-defining moment for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Many couldn’t believe their eyes — “You can’t even recognize The Rock.
Someone give an Oscar to the makeup and prosthetics team — Kazu Hiro is the real hero here,”
one viewer praised. Others were quick to notice that Dwayne went far beyond his usual roles, saying,
“He really took those memes about playing the same guy in every movie to heart — bro said make me look unrecognizable!”
A lot of fans are appreciating his effort to step into something raw and serious.
One person commented, “Seeing Dwayne doing something more emotional and grounded actually looked awesome. I’m really intrigued by this.”
Another added, “You can tell he’s changing his voice, his delivery — he’s actually acting acting this time.”
The movie has clearly struck a chord, with comments like, “Dwayne back to acting-acting. Beautiful.”
What’s really blowing people’s minds is that this is The Rock in an A24 film. A fan wrote, “Never thought I’d see The Rock in an A24 movie. But here we are.”
Others mentioned the buzz after its premiere — “Who’s here after the 15-minute standing ovation?” and “This might just be the high point of his acting career.”
Even the humor hasn’t gone missing, with a cheeky fan remarking, “You’ve gotta respect The Rock’s method acting technique — removing the no-lose clause from his contract for this movie!”
Overall, the reaction is overwhelmingly positive — fans are calling this transformation unbelievable, the makeup work Oscar-worthy, and Dwayne’s performance a refreshing break from his usual action-hero image.
The consensus is clear — “The Smashing Machine” might just be the film that redefines Dwayne Johnson as an actor.
Fans are genuinely surprised by The Smashing Machine. Many couldn’t even recognize Dwayne Johnson at first glance — his transformation is truly unbelievable.
One viewer said they almost didn’t recognize his face and can’t wait to watch it in cinemas. Another joked that “The Rock looks more like Black Adam here than he did in the actual Black Adam movie!” 😄
Some fans were deeply touched by his performance, praising how he showed a softer, more vulnerable side.
A comment mentioned that instead of his usual over-the-top style, Dwayne delivered stillness and emotion, even changing his voice to match the character’s struggle.
One viewer beautifully summed it up: “The movie is ultimately about a man fighting himself — and that’s a powerful message for all of us.”
People also appreciated the collaboration with A24 and Benny Safdie, calling it a bold and much-needed move for The Rock’s career. They felt he finally stepped outside his comfort zone and showed real acting depth.
Another user humorously noted, “This is the most vulnerable The Rock has been since Tooth Fairy.”
There were also heartfelt mentions of Mark Kerr, the real-life MMA legend the movie is based on. Some fans shared personal encounters, describing him as a humble and kind person — truly deserving of his story being told on screen.
Others who worked with Mark praised him as a great guy, saying they’re proud his journey is finally being portrayed.
Overall, the audience response is overwhelmingly positive — viewers are impressed, surprised, and emotionally moved. The Rock’s decision to take on a challenging, layered role has clearly paid off, leaving fans hopeful that this marks a new era in his acting career.
The Smashing Machine Movie Review by PanMovies.com
Overall, this film can be described as showcasing Dwayne Johnson’s stellar acting and is a fantastic biopic for his fans. If you are a Dwayne Johnson fan, you should definitely watch this movie.
- Strengths: Dwayne Johnson’s acting, emotional depth, realistic fights, raw visuals.
- Weaknesses: Some audiences may find the drama a little heavy or slow.
- Suitability: With its R-rating, drug use, and strong language, the movie is strictly for adults.
Overall, The Smashing Machine is a career-best performance of Dwayne Johnson, and a must-watch for MMA lovers, sports drama fans, and biopic enthusiasts.
According to Panmovies.com, this film received 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you are reading this review and have already seen the film, please share your opinion in the comments. Hollywood always makes good movies, but Dwayne Johnson’s fans are particularly passionate and dedicated, so please share your thoughts in the comments.