The Smashing Machine: A Fight That Never Lands
Following a three-year period (1997–2000) in the career of fighter Mark Kerr—played by Dwayne Johnson, who is no stranger to the world of wrestling—this film doesn’t give typical biopic vibes. I kept going back and forth on whether this style benefited the story, but in the end, it never fully immerses the audience in Kerr’s world. That lack of depth doesn’t serve the film. The story follows Mark at the height of his career. While in Japan to make extra money, he fights for the Pride league. The film is loosely based on an existing documentary, and by the end, I couldn’t help but feel it should have stayed just that. This was a deeply uninteresting story with no high stakes and no real emotional pull.
Kerr is portrayed as a man just trying to make money and remain undefeated, but beneath the surface, he’s addicted to opioids—even using them during matches to push through. When one fight goes wrong and he “loses,” he overdoses and checks himself into rehab. His partner, Dawn (Emily Blunt), doesn’t handle this change well. She was used to him depending on her, and he was devastated by how cold and unsupportive she seemed during his recovery. Their conflict builds to what looks like a tragic breaking point, but it fizzles out with no real payoff. Ultimately, the film concludes with Kerr realizing that losing is okay and learning when to walk away—but nothing more.
It frustrated me to see A24 give Emily Blunt this role and then give her so little to work with. Still, she was the standout of the film. She deserves a lead role where she can truly shine and deliver an emotionally powerful performance. Unfortunately, there was little chemistry here, and it felt like she was the only one fully committed. While I can see A24 positioning her for awards season, I also see why they might hold back. They have far stronger contenders to promote this year.
On paper, this seemed like a strong concept, but in execution it fell flat and dragged on far too long. This story should have remained a documentary. Even then, I would argue it wasn’t worth one. It could have been an opportunity to shed light on the opioid crisis, but the film steered away from that, leaving the audience with little more than frustration and the question of why we spent time watching it.
What I did appreciate was the way the film was shot. It avoided the typical look of a sports drama, which was refreshing—but beyond that, it offered little. I can respect the effort, but the budget felt wasted. More attention should have been given to the script or even to telling a different story altogether, one that could truly draw audiences in instead of pushing them away. Starting at the beginning of Kerr’s career, for example, might have made for a stronger and more compelling film. You can tell Dwayne had passion, but passion alone wasn’t enough to catapult this into a knockout watch.
It’s hard to go wrong with a sports story, but somehow this one does.
