Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | October 7, 2025
Dwayne Johnson’s dramatic turn in The Smashing Machine was a pretty easy sell. A talented actor, whom we had all watched ascend to box-office stardom, wanted to take on something more grounded. The man wanted to act without relying on an overabundance of green screen and shirt pockets. Great! We all know he’s capable of it, but we have watched him languish (predominantly) in poorly constructed action slop.
I was excited to see Johnson pull himself out of that muck. I was ready to enjoy The Smashing Machine, and even ended a long day with a very late night in an attempt to do so. Opening night! A good friend by my side. Taco Bell in my belly. I was so freaking primed to have a great time. Halfway through the film, my friend turned to me and voiced his displeasure with what we were seeing. It was a freeing moment, because I felt the same.
We weren’t mimicking the antics of Statler and Waldorf. We were whispering, and there was no one seated around us (more on that in a moment). Still, from that point on, we didn’t hide that we were not enjoying the movie at all. I was worried when I saw how much control Benny Safdie had over the film. He’s listed as Producer, Director, Writer, and Editor, and that made me very worried.
I’m aware that he has edited his own films before, but at least there was one other person (his brother) who could potentially serve as a dissenting voice. Here, Safdie and Dwayne Johnson were in control, and the film was worse for it. There are so many moments that sound interesting that we are told happened off-screen. It was maddening. I understand wanting to avoid cliches, but Safdie did that at the expense of not only an effective narrative but also any emotional attachment.
How did Dwayne do? Meh. I’m glad people are happy to see him do something different, but this is hardly a stretch. Aside from a moment or two when he’s strung out on opiates, there’s nothing he does here that feels like any stretch of his talents. It’s a performance led by prosthetics and a different voice, and the latter will disappear at a moment’s notice.
The movie felt like it was strictly in service of Johnson’s performance, which included relegating Emily Blunt to a role as a troubled/worried girlfriend who barely exists outside of her boyfriend’s life. Then, it makes the baffling choice at the end to show us the real Mark Kerr in the present day. It’s an insane decision because we’re told early on that the film takes place between 1997 and 2000. Then, we jump to 2025 to meet Mark Kerr, now in his 50s. You know who’s also in his 50s? Dwayne Johnson. And he looks like it.
It may seem insignificant, but it speaks to Johnson’s performance because, ironically, he wasn’t right for this role. He’s playing a man who was barely 30 during the events of the film. A younger actor would have brought a different energy to the screen. Instead, we get Johnson, who feels, looks, and acts older. Everything about his character feels like a guy who has life experience. His reactions and emotions feel different than maybe what was intended because they’re being delivered by an older man.
So, we don’t see a Mark Kerr in the prime of his life, battling issues that would trouble a younger person who is dealing with success from a brutal sport. Instead, we see The Rock handling things with a kind of responsibility that comes with age. We’re watching an actor’s interpretation of a character, and if Johnson’s performance were better, I’d be fine with that. But it’s not. It’s not his Oscar, or his big return; it’s the same laziness we’ve been used to for years.
There is plenty of blame to go around for this movie. It doesn’t fall on any one person’s shoulders. But the endeavor is still massively disappointing. This could have been something special. Instead, it once again made me question Dwayne Johnson’s career decisions. And it’s made me even more worried that he wants to play a 70-year-old next. My guess is that the character will look and behave like a 50-year-old named Dwayne Johnson, but he’ll have a different voice. Occasionally.
