My most anticipated movie of the fall won't come directly to one of the best streaming services, though it will eventually come to HBO Max. But after watching the latest trailer for "The Smashing Machine," I've decided that I just can't wait. This movie is a must-see in theaters when it debuts in the U.S. on October 3, 2025.
If you've never heard of "The Smashing Machine" before, you've definitely heard of the people involved with this movie about legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Written and directed by Benny Safdie, who most famously co-wrote and co-directed "Uncut Gems" with his brother Josh in 2019, it stars Dwayne Johnson (who is officially dropping "The Rock" on the callsheet for this movie) as Kerr, a pioneer in the early days of professional mixed martial arts and the UFC. He's joined by Academy Award-nominee Emily Blunt, who is playing Kerr's then-wife Dawn Staples.
For a movie about fighting, the trailer isn't high-octane. There's some fighting, but it mostly focuses on the blood, sweat and tears that Kerr, Staples and those around him poured into making Kerr one of the greatest fighters in the early days of professional MMA and UFC.
I'll be shocked if "The Smashing Machine," Johnson and Blunt aren't in the Oscar conversation come awards season next year.
It's also not giving the chaotic vibes of "Uncut Gems," a movie that felt like a car crash you couldn't escape from (and I don't mean that as an insult). Instead, we get a moving score and a remarkably reserved performance from Johnson as Kerr.
Don't get me wrong — it's still clearly The Rock on screen. His physical presence doesn't allow you to forget who he is in real life. That physicality is turned up to 11 to play Kerr, a former DI champion collegiate wrestler and Olympic hopeful whose size is on par with Johnson's on an average day.
But Johnson's usual mannerisms — the swagger, the way he dominates a room by the way he talks (let alone his size) — these are all set aside. He's almost diminutive at times in terms of his on-screen presence, even though he's a literal hulk, potentially powered by God knows what performance-enhancing drugs. Blunt is easily just as present in scenes, never overpowered, and at times driving the scene, while Johnson is along for the ride.
"The Smashing Machine" is already impressing those who have seen it. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has an 83% "fresh" rating, though even the negative reviews call it more underwhelming than an outright disappointment or flop. It also just debuted at the Venice International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion (Best Picture) and won the Silver Lion (Best Director). I fully expect that these won't be the last awards it contends for (or wins), and I'll be shocked if "The Smashing Machine," Johnson and Blunt aren't in the Oscar conversation come awards season next year.
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