Emily Blunt and striking visuals save this messy sports drama
Sports dramas are built on grit, pain, and glory, but Benny Safdie’s solo directorial debut, The Smashing Machine, takes an unusual route, one that unfortunately doesn’t quite land. The story centres around the real-life UFC legend Mark Kerr, by using this premise, the film had all the makings of a raw, character-driven knockout. Instead, it becomes a frustrating mismatch of overwrought acting and flashes of brilliance, salvaged only by Emily Blunt’s magnetic performance and the film’s striking cinematography.
Dwayne Johnson – A Misfire in the Spotlight
Much of the buzz surrounding The Smashing Machine came from the idea of Dwayne Johnson stepping outside his blockbuster persona into a vulnerable, dramatic role. Sadly, Johnson’s attempt to embody Kerr’s internal struggles comes off as forced and painfully exaggerated. His constant over-emoting drains authenticity from the character, turning Kerr’s very real battles with addiction and self-destruction into a near-caricature. Where the film needs quiet, internalised pain, Johnson delivers loud, melodramatic gestures that feel completely out of sync with Safdie’s otherwise grounded style. It’s one of Johnson’s weakest turns, and it drags the movie down considerably.
In sharp contrast, Emily Blunt delivers the film’s saving grace as Kerr’s partner, Dawn. She plays the role with such nuance that even when the script skews unfairly against her character, Blunt imbues Dawn with humanity, complexity, and raw emotional weight. Every scene she shares on screen feels electric, and she easily outshines her co-star. If The Smashing Machine is remembered for anything, it will be Blunt’s ability to inject depth and honesty into a film that so often stumbles elsewhere.
A Visual Knockout
Credit must also go to the film’s cinematography. Safdie and his team shoot the world of late-’90s UFC with a muted, gritty lens that strips away any Hollywood sheen. The fight scenes aren’t flashy but instead claustrophobic, emphasising the brutal toll of combat rather than spectacle. Outside the ring, the framing captures both intimacy and suffocation, perfectly echoing Kerr’s downward spiral. These visuals, more than the narrative or lead performance, communicate the story’s bleak honesty.
Final Verdict
The Smashing Machine had the potential to be Safdie’s breakout solo project, but Johnson’s miscalculated overacting derails what could have been a powerful, character-driven sports drama. Thanks to Emily Blunt’s phenomenal turn and the striking cinematography, the film avoids being a total loss. Still, what should have been a bruising emotional drama ends up as a lopsided fight that only occasionally connects.
