The Smashing Machine

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2:30

Poster for

The Smashing Machine

R

Oct 2025

2h 3m

Biography

Drama

Action

Sports

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Popcornmeter

70%

Tomatometer

296 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Verified Ratings

The true story of mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr, whose obsession with greatness made him a legend -- and nearly cost him everything.

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Critics Consensus

Dwayne Johnson goes the distance with his transformative turn as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a gritty biopic that sidesteps cliché even at the expense of narrative satisfaction while still landing the dramatic body blows that count.

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Audience Says

While The Smashing Machine may not break any records as a sports classic, Dwayne Johnson’s knockout performance transforms a familiar story into an unexpectedly memorable experience.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

It'll be a hardsell for audiences to accept Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a genuine actor ready to emerge from the exhibitionist surface of his wrestler’s body and indestructible movie-star appeal. But he does that here and passes with flying colors.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 31, 2025

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Sergio Burstein

Los Angeles Times

This is a machine not worth opposing. [Full review in Spanish]

Oct 14, 2025

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Dwight Brown

DwightBrownInk.com

Surprisingly, Johnson excels most in the dramatic scenes. The emotional tug-of-wars with Blunt and him are scorching.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 13, 2025

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John Stark

Mac the Movie Guy

The Smashing Machine is a crash course on dramatic depth from Dwayne Johnson, who brings a surprising amount of vulnerability he rarely is asked to use. Far and away his best performance. I just wish I could say the same of his co-star.

Rated: 77/100

Nov 28, 2025

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Gisela Savdie

El Heraldo

Safdie brings his signature realism into a more intimate universe, where physical violence merges with the emotional; the raw light and tight framing capture both the sweat of the body and the trembling of the soul. [Full review in Spanish]

Nov 23, 2025

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Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

It’s a minor biopic with a satisfying retro flavor—one we watch without either great enthusiasm or boredom.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 21, 2025

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Jhett TXSLMPT Quintanilla

Loved it, very well directed with a very unique aesthetic to the film grain giving it that retro vibe and very great acting by Dwayne Johnson, definitely Oscar worthy and giving him the credit he deserves as an actor

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/23/25

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Lori Lori

Good actors, great story

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/25

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Jesse

I thought it was great movie great acting wish the fighting was more in depth but overall underrated movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/19/25

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Jacob

well the rock strikes again. he did good playing a UFC fighter mark kerr . good movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/15/25

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Kelly

The rock was great, movie was def slow, kinda boring at times

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/13/25

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Ana R

I'm not a big fan of UFC but it was great to watch this movie and have a more understanding of the sport through an athlete's view. The relationship in this movie points out great information on how one person could effect your own personal choices. Recommend to watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/02/25

Full Review

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Benny Safdie

Director

Dwayne Johnson

Mark Kerr

Emily Blunt

Dawn Staples

Ryan Bader

Mark Coleman

Bas Rutten

Self

Oleksandr Usyk

Igor Vovchanchyn

The Smashing Machine: Exclusive Movie Clip - First Real Test

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The Smashing Machine: Movie Clip - Made This For You

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The Smashing Machine: Featurette - Playing 2000s Trivia

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The Rock on Transforming Into Mark Kerr

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'The Smashing Machine' Cast Share the Hardest Part of Their Character Transformations

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The Smashing Machine: Featurette - First Look

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The Smashing Machine: Trailer 2

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The Smashing Machine: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The true story of mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr, whose obsession with greatness made him a legend -- and nearly cost him everything.

Director: Benny Safdie
Producer: Benny Safdie, Dwayne Johnson, Eli Bush, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, David Koplan
Screenwriter: Benny Safdie
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Out for the Count, Seven Bucks Productions, A24
Rating: R (Language and Some Drug Abuse)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Action, Sports
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 3, 2025, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 4, 2025
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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