The Smashing Machine Movie Review: An In-Depth Look at Benny Safdie's Gritty Biopic Starring Dwayne Johnson

By Elena Marlowe J.

The Smashing Machine: A Movie Review takes readers deep into one of 2025's most anticipated films. Directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA legend Mark Kerr, the movie is not a typical sports drama-it is a raw, unflinching portrait of glory, pain, and survival.

This book provides a clear and engaging analysis of the film's performances, themes, and cinematic style. It explores Johnson's dramatic transformation into Kerr, Emily Blunt's nuanced portrayal of Dawn Staples, and Safdie's bold use of 16mm cinematography to blur the line between spectacle and suffering. The review highlights how the octagon is framed as both stage and prison, examining the balance between triumph and trauma.

Positioned alongside films like The Wrestler and Warrior, The Smashing Machine represents a new standard for MMA storytelling. This companion book shows how the film fits into the 2020s wave of gritty sports biopics while reflecting on the larger themes of masculinity, addiction, and identity.

For movie fans, MMA enthusiasts, and anyone interested in powerful human stories, this review offers insight, context, and appreciation for one of the year's defining cinematic experiences.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FTTC4S6S
• ISBN13: 9798268219401
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 82 Pages
• Weight: 0.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"