Biography
Drama
Wrestling with Demons: A TIFF Review of ‘The Smashing Machine’
September 11, 2025Ben MK
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Valued at approximately $40 billion dollars, the merger of World Wrestling Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship known as TKO is a behemoth. And although mixed martial arts events still doesn't draw as many fans as other professional sports, it's still one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. With top MMA fighters like Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya earning millions per paycheck, MMA has certainly come a long way since its early days. None of that would be possible without early MMA athletes like Mark Kerr, however. And with The Smashing Machine, writer-director Benny Safdie is bringing Kerr's story to the big screen. The year is 1997, and Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) is an American Freestyle Wrestler trying to make a name for himself. Undefeated in the ring but paying the price for his victories with the intense physical pain he suffers every day, Mark relies on regular injection of opioids in order to keep himself a functioning human being. It's a slippery slope that hasn't really taken a toll on his performance professionally, but behind the scenes, it's beginning to cause turmoil and tension at home with his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt). Poised to become the sport's next big name, Mark struggles with his personal demons, while he tries to maintain his focus on defeating his various opponents. But when professional challenges and personal crises come to a head, it spells the beginning of what could not just be the end of his career, but potentially his life. With his good friend, fellow wrestler and former coach, Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), and his new coach, Bas (Bas Rutten), in his corner, Mark attempts to navigate the rocky and dangerous road back into the ring, after undergoing a stint in rehab. But will this comeback story ultimately have a happy ending? Or will Mark's demons get the better of him and knock him out for good? Bolstered by a pair of terrific performances from Johnson and Blunt, the result isn't concerned with providing audiences with all of the tropes and clichés familiar to fans of sports biopics. Rather, this rousing character study is primarily about deconstructing who Kerr is as a person and rebuilding him again piece by piece. Make no mistake, Safdie's feature followup to his critically acclaimed 2019 film, Uncut Gems, doesn't shy away from depicting the blood-soaked brutality and gut-wrenching violence of the sport. If you're looking for drama both in and out of the ring, however, The Smashing Machine is championship belt material indeed. |
The Smashing Machine screens under the Special Presentations programme at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Its runtime is 2 hrs. 3 min.
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