THE SMASHING MACHINE : Tuesday 14th October 2025

I saw the M Rated 'THE SMASHING MACHINE' earlier this week at my local multiplex, and this American biographical sports drama film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Benny Safdie whose previous feature film Directing credits, with his brother Josh, are their debut 'Daddy Longlegs' in 2009, 'Lenny Cooke' in 2013, 'Heaven Knows What' in 2014, 'Good Time' in 2017 and 'Uncut Gems' in 2019. This film is Benny Safdie's first solo Directing feature. The film had its World Premiere showcasing in the main competition of this years Venice International Film Festival in early September where it won the Silver Lion. It was released in the US and here in Australia on 2nd October, cost US$50M to produce, has so far recouped US$17M in Box Office receipts and has generated positive critical reviews. 

The film opens with Mark Kerr being interviewed, who explains to the interviewer his success in Ultimate Fighting Championship, before he leaves for his next bout. Based on the true story of pioneering mixed martial arts/UFC fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson, who also Co-Produces here), who helped grow the sport’s popularity in its early days, this film is set between 1997 and 2000. In 1999, Mark is at home with his girlfriend, Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt), with whom he shares a complicated and frequently fractured relationship. Mark scolds her lightly for making a bulking shake incorrectly by using skimmed milk instead of his recently switched to full cream milk and only using half a banana instead of the two that he demands, but then apologises. He prepares for a fight while being coached by his very good friend and mixed martial artist and pro-wrestler Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), and stumbles in and out of drug use while meeting Japanese officials regarding his pay.

Mark sits in his locker room with Mark Coleman in Tokyo under the influence and in anticipation of his imminent bout with Igor Vovchanchyn (Oleksandr Usyk), when Dawn arrives unexpectedly. They begin to argue as Kerr ignores her, while trying to focus intently on his bout. After losing his latest fight drastically, he quietly leaves and returns downtrodden to his locker room and begins sobbing. It is his first loss. 

Back home, his relationship with Dawn further deteriorates and he overdoses the next morning. Dawn frantically calls Coleman, who jumps on the first available flight to visit his friend in hospital. Coleman tells him that he needs to change, which Mark agrees with. He enters rehab, and upon his finishing the course he collects up his syringes, his injectable substances and his painkillers and promptly discards them in a dumpster. However, his rehab only added further strain to his relationship with Dawn, eventually resulting in her leaving and Mark leaving to train with Bas Rutten (Bas Rutten), a mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler. 

Mark performs extremely well under Bas' coaching, getting back into the peak of physical fitness, and winning his first fight. He later reconciles with Dawn, which to the chagrin of Bas, results in Mark leaving camp. 

Mark and Dawn have another falling out over her hedonistic habits, and they have a big tit-for-tat argument resulting in Mark breaking up with Dawn and asking her to go the bedroom, pack a bag and leave. A distraught Dawn tries to shoot herself in the head but is prevented from doing so by Mark, who holds her tightly until she calms down. A couple of days later in Japan, at the 2000 Pride Grand Prix semi-finals, a distracted Mark loses his next fight brutally against Igor Vovchanchyn, as he has flashbacks of Dawn and other moments throughout his life and career, and is unable to focus, both physically and mentally, on the bout. 

Coleman eventually wins the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, while Mark receives stitches to his chin. He sits in the shower, smiling and laughing before it cuts to the present day, showing the real Mark Kerr shopping at a grocery store. It is revealed that Mark and Dawn reconciled their differences and got married in Las Vegas ten days after his loss at the 2000 Grand Prix, and that they were married for six years and share a son together. He retired in 2009, and while mostly unknown today, is one of the biggest pioneers in the MMA world.

With 'The Smashing Machine' Writer and Director Benny Safdie has crafted a sports biographical drama offering that certainly looks the part, is high on emotion, and offers two standout performances from Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, but sadly this is where the positives draw to an abrupt halt. Aside from being a pioneer of early MMA/UFC Mark Kerr led what appears to be a fairly unremarkable life to the point where today he is virtually unknown for his contribution to the sport. He had a fairly comfortable life it seems living in a modest, but by no means a palatial home, while frequented by his on again off again relationship with Dawn, and his regular substance abuse and addiction to pain killers all of which contributed to his volatile personality. He was always polite, courteous and selfless when in the public eye, but behind closed doors - often a different story, and Johnson captures these traits perfectly within the film. But, I came away feeling just a little shortchanged by the repetitive nature of this film, and the underwhelming story that centred on just three years of this mans life when he had achieved much before 1997 and after 2000, up until his eventual retirement in 2009. 

'The Smashing Machine' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-