The Smashing Machine Finds Humanity in the Hurt

The Smashing Machine

★ ★ ★ ★

The Smashing Machine tells the biographical story of wrestler and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson). The title is based on his nickname, given because of his brutal ground-and-pound striking and vicious wrestling takedowns. Raw and visceral, the film shows Mark as a man in mental torment—a self-saboteur in his personal life. In the ring, he’s a brutal fighter. At home, he tries to be a gentle giant. But addiction to opioids and a volatile relationship with girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt) threatens to bring out the beast within.

Up to now, he’s never lost a fight. When he’s asked how he’d handle a loss by the Japanese press while fighting in Tokyo, he doesn’t have an answer. It’s a concept he’s never considered, and try as he might, he can’t answer the question. It’s perhaps one of the most profound moments in the film. His struggle to answer, and Johnson’s portrayal of it, defines this character at his most primal. Without even knowing the true story, we know he’s going to face his first loss. Despite the “nice guy” demeanor, it isn’t going to be graceful.

Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr after his first loss
© 2025 A24

When we first glimpse his home life, he’s living with Dawn and she makes him a protein smoothie. Like most finely-tuned athletes, Mark has his own mix of ingredients. She didn’t know Mark had changed his recipe. Mark is nice about it, recognizes that she wasn’t aware of his change and remakes the smoothie. But in his assurance that it’s not her fault he had to remake it, there’s a glimpse of passive-aggressive anger stuffed deep down by his pleasantries. All the early clues are there. Mark’s a powderkeg and the only real question is, can he stop the fuse once it’s lit?

That small smoothie exchange defines their relationship—a nice gesture met with buried resentment. From our first visit with them, we sense a tension that’s been simmering for a long time.

There’s a deep psychological study between Mark and Dawn that echoes far beyond the theater walls, something anyone who’s been in a bad relationship can recognize—at least on some level. Dawn has an innate need to please and be needed. She doesn’t want to be left out of Mark’s career and is quickly prone to jealousy with the ability to become a cyclone of drama when she feels sidelined. If Mark’s the powderkeg, she’s holding the match. Perhaps she wants to light his fuse just to see how big the blast is.

Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples and Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr
© 2025 A24

The tone and style are understated. There’s no booming soundtrack. There’s no flashy, glamorized fight scenes. Shot gritty and raw, the understated filmmaking makes it feel so real you forget you’re watching a movie. It’s a brilliant way to tell this story because it allows the actors the freedom to flesh out the characters in their own way. It works on every level.

Johnson disappears into Mark—a rare feat for an action superstar. While Johnson is often fun to watch, he’s gone to a surprising depth here. He’s completely convincing as Mark and his performance is captivating.

Blunt expertly weaves through caring girlfriend to unhinged tempest with such grace and poise, we can see why Mark stays with her. When it’s good with her, it’s amazing. It might just be worth weathering her storms to get to what’s beautiful.

Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr
© 2025 A24

The film doesn’t make this her fault. Nor does it say it’s Mark’s. It simply presents two broken people who have no business in a healthy relationship as they are. While we might want to see them make it work, we also know it’s probably best if they don’t—not without serious therapy.

That’s what makes The Smashing Machine so captivating. It’s an unflinching look at a fighter who loses for the first time and discovers, in his pursuit of perfection, he’s been losing outside of the ring for some time. It’s brutal in its simplicity, exposing every raw nerve it can. Mark might smash people real good in the ring, but he’s even better at quietly destroying his own life. Watching it unfold in this film is viciously riveting.