The Rock’s ‘The Smashing Machine’ Is Raw, Emotional and Totally Unexpected

Why is Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Getting Serious Oscar Buzz? Here’s All You Need To Know About ‘The Smashing Machine’ Movie

The film industry has fallen head over heels for Dwayne Johnson’s performance in his latest movie, The Smashing Machine. It got a whopping 15-minute standing ovation at its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, which brought the pro wrestler cum Hollywood A-lister we know and love to tears. Critics have called his performance career-defining, and the Oscar buzz is as loud as a hornet’s nest on speed.

So, what’s Dwayne Johnson’s new movie, The Smashing Machine, about, and why is his performance so good?

The Smashing Machine is a biographical drama directed by Benny Safdie, and the cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, and MMA star Ryan Bader. It’s centred around Mark Kerr, a former wrestler, mixed martial artist, and UFC fighter from the not-so-glamorous days before the sport became a multi-billion-dollar industry. The story spans three turbulent years in Mark’s career as he battles with addiction, a passionate yet rocky relationship, and mental health issues, while simultaneously competing in MMA and UFC matches all over the world. 

Although getting jacked enough to play a fighting machine isn’t exactly a tall order for Dwayne Johnson, his physical transformation is pretty impressive (he’s almost unrecognisable). But what’s even more impressive is his against-type portrayal of a sensitive, flawed, and tortured athlete in the midst of a breakdown. It really is a game-changing performance worth seeing. Not only is he likely to get an Oscar nom, he’s got a good chance of winning, we reckon.

The movie itself is a bit of a slow-burn, so if you’re expecting The Rock’s usual action-packed movies with a healthy dose of comedy on the side, you should give this one a swerve — Baywatch or Jumanji, it is not. But, if you like intense, emotional, and character-driven drama with incredibly moving performances (Emily Blunt is pretty darn fantastic as Kerr’s girlfriend, too), it’s worth having a look.

The Smashing Machine will be released in Australian cinemas on 2 October 2025. And if you can’t wait that long to see what The Rock looks like as Mark Kerr, you can check out the trailer now.
If you prefer to smash (pun intended) your movies from home, we’ll keep you posted on when The

Smashing Machine becomes available to stream in Australia. In the meantime, if you want some more critically-acclaimed movies to watch from the comfort of your sofa, check out our list of top-rated movies on Netflix.