When Dwayne Johnson steps into the octagon as UFC pioneer Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s new biopic “The Smashing Machine,” critics are calling it the actor’s most daring turn yet. The film debuted on September 28, 2025, in Los Angeles, chronicling Kerr’s rise and fall during the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s fledgling years from 1997 to 2000. Co‑starring Emily Blunt as his volatile girlfriend Dawn Staples, the drama blends documentary‑style footage with narrative storytelling, and already sparked a firestorm of debate on whether Johnson has finally shed his action‑hero skin.
Here’s the thing: Safdie didn’t just want to make another sports movie. In a recent interview, the writer‑director explained that he set out to craft an “anti‑biopic,” a piece that feels as raw as a locker‑room confession and as relentless as a cage fight. He even recruited real‑life MMA competitors—Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Japanese judoka Satoshi Ishii and boxer Oleksandr Usyk—to appear as themselves, lending the film an authenticity that most fictionalized sports dramas lack.
Background and Safdie’s Vision
Safdie, who wrote, directed, and edited the picture, drew inspiration from the gritty early days of the UFC, when “no eye‑gouging” was still a rule under negotiation. The opening scene—a Japanese journalist asking Kerr, “We, as humans, sometimes, we lose. What would that feel like?”—sets a tone that oscillates between existential inquiry and brute‑force spectacle. The camera work, credited to Maceo Bishop, mimics handheld documentary footage: dim locker‑room lights, shaky close‑ups of bruised knuckles, and long, uncut takes of domestic arguments that feel ripped straight from a true‑crime series.
Johnson’s Breakthrough Performance
Johnson’s portrayal of Kerr is the kind of role you’d expect only a seasoned actor to pull off—soft‑spoken in the first half, then exploding into a feral machine when provoked. Empire Online wrote, “He barely changes the temperature of his voice and then bursts into violence when challenged,” and added that the performance “surpasses even his 1998 WWF SummerSlam cameo.” One standout moment shows a still‑calm Kerr smashing a studio door, a visual metaphor for his internal turbulence.
Critics are unanimous: this is the best work of Johnson’s career. Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score sits at 84 %, with the consensus reading, “Dwayne Johnson gives the performance of his life.” Even Roger Ebert’s reviewer, writing for the digital archive, called the film an “anti‑biopic that blurs the line between documentary and narrative feature,” praising Johnson’s ability to convey “the quiet desperation that fuels a fighter’s rage.”
Blunt’s Role and Mixed Reception
Emily Blunt’s Dawn Staples is meant to be a foil, but the reception is split. Nerdist noted the clever inversion of the usual sports‑movie trope—here, the girlfriend is “as messy a**hole” as the fighter herself. Meanwhile, Scott Mendelson from Deadline slammed the performance as “a straight variation on Heidi Gardner’s ‘Every Boxer’s Girlfriend’ SNL sketch,” arguing that Blunt leans into caricature rather than nuance.
What’s odd is that the script gives Dawn moments of tenderness—she talks about her “sensitive tummy” and a particular smoothie formula—only to have those scenes undercut by sudden, angry outbursts. The juxtaposition adds to the film’s uneasy rhythm, leaving some viewers feeling like they’re watching two personalities battle for screen time.
Cinematic Style and Real‑World Cameos
Beyond the leads, the film’s authenticity shines through its cameo roster. Ryan Bader, a former UFC contender, appears as himself during a training montage, while Bas Rutten, a legendary Dutch‑born fighter‑coach, delivers a brief, unscripted pep talk that feels ripped from an actual locker‑room locker. These bits aren’t just stunts; they ground the narrative in the very era it depicts.
The cinematography, which many reviewers liken to “Raging Bull meets Rocky,” uses muted palettes and natural sound to capture the visceral feel of early‑UFC fights—no polished lighting, just sweat, blood, and the grunts of combatants. The result is a film that feels less like a polished Hollywood product and more like a lost footage archive uncovered in a basement.
Critical Consensus and What It Means for Johnson
Overall, critical opinion is a blend of admiration and critique. While the acting—especially Johnson’s—is hailed as “career‑best,” the structure is called “a series of Oscar‑bait clips” that never coalesce into a unified story. Mendelson wrote, “It runs nearly two hours but feels like Safdie kept only the highlight reels and discarded the rest.” On the other hand, Empire praised the movie’s poetic beauty, saying it “finds simple, poetic beauty in the ring like ‘Raging Bull’ and finds failure meaningful like ‘Rocky.’”
For Johnson, the film is more than a role; it’s a statement. After recent setbacks—a Razzie for “Baywatch” and the box‑office disappointment of “Black Adam”—the actor appears driven to prove his dramatic chops. The performance may very well reposition him in the eyes of Oscar‑season voters, or at the very least, broaden the range of roles he’ll be trusted with.
Future Outlook
The Smashing Machine is slated for a limited international rollout before a wider streaming release on February 14, 2026. Early buzz suggests awards‑season chatter could intensify, especially in categories like Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, where Blunt’s divisive portrayal might still earn nods for bravado.
- Runtime: 118 minutes
- Premiere: September 28, 2025 (Los Angeles)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84 %
- Main cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Benny Safdie (writer‑director)
- Real‑MMA cameos: Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Satoshi Ishii, Oleksandr Usyk
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Johnson’s performance affect his future acting prospects?
The critical acclaim positions Johnson as a serious dramatic contender, potentially opening doors to prestige projects and awards‑season campaigns that were previously out of reach for the former action‑hero.
What aspects of the film have drawn the most criticism?
Reviewers have pointed to the fragmented narrative, calling it more a collection of highlight‑reel moments than a cohesive story, and have also debated Emily Blunt’s portrayal of Dawn as either a bold subversion or an over‑the‑top caricature.
Why did Safdie choose to blend documentary footage with drama?
Safdie aimed to capture the raw, unfiltered energy of early UFC bouts, using handheld cameras and real‑life fighters to blur the line between fact and fiction and give viewers a visceral sense of the sport’s chaotic origins.
What is the significance of the real MMA fighters appearing as themselves?
Their cameos lend authenticity, anchoring the fictional narrative in the actual history of the UFC and allowing fans to recognize familiar faces from the sport’s early era, which enhances the film’s credibility.
When will the movie be available for streaming?
After its limited theatrical run, the picture is slated for a global streaming debut on February 14, 2026, giving audiences worldwide a chance to see Johnson’s celebrated turn.
