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Is the biopic The Smashing Machine the uppercut everyone expected?
On September 1st, 2025, Dwayne Johnson was unrecognisable ans moved the audience at the Venice Film Festival. During the screening of The Smashing Machine, the debut solo film by Benny Safdie (without his brother Josh), the American actor received a 15-minute standing ovation. In this biopic, he delivers a heartbreaking performance as former wrestling champion Mark Kerr. A role that could very well earn “The Rock” his first Oscar nomination.
By Ambra Flora,
and Violaine Schütz.
The Rock’s surprise appearance at the Venice Film Festival
“Often, it’s harder for us—or at least for me—to know what we’re capable of when we’ve been pigeonholed into one single category.” Those were the words Dwayne Johnson shared in an interview with Variety about his latest film. The feature recently premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival and received the Silver Lion for Best Director.
Indeed, the former wrestler and actor known as The Rock stars in The Smashing Machine, a film that stands in stark contrast to the action blockbusters that built his fame. Produced by indie studio A24, the feature showcases a whole new side of the actor. Dwayne Johnson underwent a complete transformation, gaining several kilos of muscle, in order to embody the protagonist in this biopic about sport.
Dwayne Johnson’s breathtaking performance
In this film directed by one of the Safdie brothers, filmmaker Benny Safdie, Dwayne Johnson portrays Mark Kerr, a MMA star from the 1990s. Crowned world number one from 1997 to 2000, Mark Kerr was known for his ferociously violent fights, earning him the nickname “The Smashing Machine.” For years, he remained undefeated, until his luck ran out…
This intimate film focuses more on the athlete’s inner demons than on his brutal exploits in the ring. Benny Safdie does explore his career as a professional fighter during the early days of MMA. But is also places a greater emphasis on his battle with painkiller addiction, his friendship with fellow fighter Mark Coleman, and his complicated relationship with his wife (brilliantly portrayed by Emily Blunt). Beneath the bulging muscles hides a vulnerable man.
Could The Smashing Machine win an Oscar?
In the vein of films like The Wrestler (2009) by Darren Aronofsky, or more recently The Iron Claw (2023), the director delivers a deeply human perspective on a celebrity too long reduced to the image of an invincible brute. Aside from its VHS-style aesthetic, the greatest asset of this raw, almost documentary film is The Rock’s astonishing performance.
His subtle and intense portrayal resonates all the more because the character’s strength, fragility, and humanity echo Dwayne Johnson’s own experience as a former wrestler. The actor told Vanity Fair that it was the most sensitive and demanding role of his career. Christopher Nolan even called his heart-wrenching performance “incredible.”
Even if The Smashing Machine isn’t quite the knockout it promised to be, it may nonetheless earn Dwayne Johnson the first Oscar of his career. A long-overdue, well-deserved recognition thanks to the feature slated for release in cinemas on October 29th, 2025.
The Smashing Machine (2025) by Benny Safdie, coming out in theatres on October 29th, 2025.
