This year, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson might just be the award show darling. Johnson is the star of Benny Safdie’s sports biopic, The Smashing Machine, and he’s getting a lot of recognition for his “scarily unstable” portrayal of MMA star Mark Kerr. It is a new endeavor for the actor, who has been known for headlining blockbusters for most of his career. After the film received rapturous applause at the Venice Film Festival this year, Johnson got emotional in a statement he shared online.
When films are screened for European audiences, the crowds are often very honest and vocal when responding. If an audience doesn’t like a film, they may boo and even walk out of screenings. However, when a feature is received well, audiences are generous with their praise, often resulting in lengthy standing ovations. This was particularly the case with Smashing Machine, which received a 15-minute standing ovation in Venice. Johnson was very emotional in receiving such a reaction and shared his gratitude on Instagram, saying:
I feel like dreams are something we can contextualize. We imagine things and scenarios in our minds. This was far beyond my imagination and something my heart had a hard time comprehending. We were all deeply moved to our core. Benny, Emily, Mark, and myself. Thank you, Venice Film Festival.
This feels very reminiscent of when The Whale screened in Venice, which resulted in a very emotional Brendan Fraser. For Fraser, that film was a huge comeback moment, as he had experienced a number of professional setbacks and now was being recognized for his immense talent. For The Rock, this moment symbolized something different, as it seemed like recognition for Johnson as a performer, rather than a box office movie star. Johnson was finally being offered a serious role, and he's apparently knocked it out of the park.
The lengths of standing ovations can often be arbitrary, and timing a reception does little to reflect a film’s overall quality, of course. However, 15 minutes is admittedly a very long standing O, and the moment clearly meant a lot to Dwayne Johnson and the rest of the cast. The festival’s artistic director originally didn’t think Smashing Machine would contend for major awards. However, it seems that letting the film play at the festival was the right call.
Johnson has been in the movie business for decades at this point, but there’s something about this moment in his career that feels unique and special. He's clearly enjoying it all and I personally can’t wait to see his latest film. There’s a lot at stake when playing a real person, and Emily Blunt in particular has been candid about challenges of playing a real-life person, Dawn Staples, for the movie. However, if early reactions are to be taken to heart, the upcoming A24 film rises to the occasion, and it may mark a new phase in The Rock's career.
You can see Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine when the film hits theaters nationwide on October 3rd. For more information on other exciting titles heading to the big screen this year, make sure to consult the 2025 movie release schedule.
