Despite his absolute monstrous size at the time of his career and just how brutal he proved in the ring of mixed martial arts, Mark Kerr was – and still is – a figure that defied the expectations many would presumably put upon him from a personal standpoint. Softly spoken, with an emotional sense that he wore on his sleeve (almost to his own detriment at times), his demeanour never suggested his professional brutality. His drive did, however, and it’s all the facets of his fascinating being that director Benny Safdie explores in his solo directorial outing, The Smashing Machine.
From the opening grainy moments of Kerr fighting, we sense his concern for those who go to head-to-head with him. He knocks them out, then asks if they are okay. His voice feels safe. His size, less so. He becomes a staple on the Japan fighting scene, working alongside his good friend, and could-be competitor, Mark Coleman (mixed martial artist Ryan Bader). In his strive for physical perfection, he becomes addicted to opioids, which, understandably, spirals out of control. And through it all he has the support of his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt) – though their love is so volatile that they’ll be affectionate in one moment, before emotionally tormenting the other the next.
Safdie’s script focuses on a specific three-year period of Kerr’s life, and though he can’t entirely escape some expected tropes of these types of biopics, he’s at least aiming for something beyond the standard narrative, presenting this snap-shot into an existence that we can’t help but be consumed by – even if it pains us to watch; aside from how devastating it becomes on an emotional level, the brutality of the sport is presented in a way that is uncomfortably visceral. It’s free from gloss.
Of course, so much of the interest surrounding The Smashing Machine is that of the performance of Dwayne Johnson at its core. He’s survived his share of criticism regarding his filmic choices over his two-decade acting career, and whilst some of that criticism is perhaps justified when viewing forgettable fluff like the recent Red One, he’s flexed many a glimpse at the exciting character actor he can be, with such bold film choices as Southland Tales and Pain & Gain speaking to the sense that, when given the right material, he’s an actor worth noting. The Smashing Machine is truly unlike anything we have seen from Johnson. Somehow packing on even more muscle to his already expansive frame, Johnson’s look in the film may, on the surface, only play into the showman-like persona he exudes, but it only reiterates how tender Kerr is outside of his physicality. With subtle prosthetics that alter his appearance, this is the epitome of a rebirthed actor wanting to prove his worth outside of the audience quadrant he believed he had to entertain for so many years.
In short, Johnson is Mark Kerr.
Battling him at every turn, Blunt is just as formidable as Dawn. Though she’s perhaps not written as strongly as she deserves, Blunt overcomes any shortcomings with a fierce performance that delights in its unpredictability. Dawn is a frustrating presence throughout, as it’s clear that she loves Mark, but can’t get out of the way of her own ego and emotions. There’s more to be explored regarding her mental health throughout, but Blunt is so intoxicating whenever she’s on screen that it’s easy to forgive any of the script blemishes that don’t always favour her. Together, she and Johnson are both the beating heart and the brutal reality of fractured love.
Whilst it’s easy to accuse the film of “Oscar baiting”, it’s difficult to deny how impactful a story it is, how interesting it is to limit itself to a brief period of life, how exciting it is to see Safdie tackle directing on his own, and how revelatory it is to see Johnson own his evident talent. There’s a real sense of poetry pertaining to Johnson’s ultimate success as Kerr here, as, like the very man he portrays (who is even featured at the tail-end of the film, only further reiterating how genuinely unassuming he is), he has been through the ringer and back over his career choices, and needed to experience a loss as such to be able to return stronger and more reflective as to who he truly is. Johnson has noted that he lost a sense of himself, but it would appear with The Smashing Machine he is found once more and, to our viewing benefit, he’s better than ever.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Smashing Machine is screening as part of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, running between September 4th and 14th, 2025. For more information on the festival, head to the official site here.
The Smashing Machine is scheduled to be released in Australian theatres on October 2nd, 2025.
