Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine was one of the big standouts at the Venice Film Festival, earning him the Silver Lion award for directing. But the most glowing reviews were for star Dwayne Johnson, with Oscar buzz swirling for his performance as UFC fighter Mark Kerr. Having literally just walked out of the screening yesterday (review here), I think the buzz might be right this time.
Johnson has never been less like himself in his role as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. He’s soft-spoken, unpretentious, a teddy bear buried beneath a hulking muscular frame. It’s such a stark contrast that this gentle giant, who speaks with the affectation of a child, can brutalize opponents in the ring with heavy strikes and unbreakable grapples.
The film follows Kerr as he becomes one of the early greats in combat sports, an undefeated monster who finds he’s incapable of coping with his first defeat. That loss sends him on a downward spiral that will become the greatest opponent he’s ever faced.
Joining Johnson in the cast are Emily Blunt as his partner Dawn Staples, MMA fighter Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman, and Bas Rutten as himself.
A24 will release The Smashing Machine in theaters on October 3rd.
