Dwayne Johnson has put years into crafting the persona of Hollywood’s unbreakable hero – a grinning, eyebrow-arching titan who flexes his biceps to save the day. But in The Smashing Machine, the trailer for which dropped today, he is shown as someone very different: vulnerable, bleeding, and achingly human.
A Fighter’s Raw Humanity Johnson portrays Mark Kerr, the UFC legend, and “The Smashing Machine,” in A24’s biopic, directed by Uncut Gems’ Benny Safdie. But this is not a victory lap; it’s a Warts-and-all portrait of addiction, fractured relationships, and the price of glory. In one trailer haunting moment, Johnsson’s Kerr mumbles, “You’re probably looking at my eyes.” That line, followed by a face full of bruises and scars, paints a sharper picture than the polished heroics of Jumanji or Fast & Furious.
For Johnson, the role represents a homecoming of sorts. From being “The Rock” to a college football player and wrestler, Johnson is accustomed to the rush and pain of combat sports. One of his comments to Variety this year echoes: “I’ve been where Mark was-that hunger to prove yourself, to dominate. But I’ve also seen how that hunger can consume you.”
Blunt rejoined her co-star for Jungle Cruise and now portrays Kerr’s wife. She describes Kerr’s then-wife as tender and tenacious simultaneously. “Dawn was the glue,” Blunt said,” She loved him through the chaos, even when it nearly broke her.”
With a hoarse voice, Johnson says, “I’m fine,” while filmed by his wife with a handheld camera. The couple’s chemistry crackles throughout the scene. In a throwback to the HBO documentary from 2002 that inspired the movie, the couple’s chemistry throughout the scene feels electric as Johnson exclaims, “I’m fine”, and his wife captures him during a slurred moment. This is the moment Johnson step out of his action-star disguise in Hollywood and show the world his soft, vulnerable side.
The Price of Being Great
Kerr’s saga is both a success and a failure. The first “ground and pound” practitioner is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. Still, he fell victim to opioid addiction, using analgesics to mask the hurt from a multitude of injuries. He had to tell the world about Kerr’s life, and he does so, saying that one part of the story was observing Mark lifting the championship and, in the other part, picturing Kerr sitting in the locker room with a syringe in his hand. This is all present in the trailer of the documentary, capturing this duality.
In real life, a big figure in MMA, Bas Rutten, prances around labeling himself in the film. Mark’s struggles stood out a lot to him. I always thought that Mark absorbed the magnitude of everything. The “burn” in Mark’s intensity is on too extreme of a level,” Rutten said in an interview and continued, “But it all consumed him too.” Benny Safdie, the director, accentuates the king’s mess using his typical, fast-paced filming style that accompanies Kirk’s unraveling mind.
Why This Role is Important
Fighting has taken its toll on Johnson, and at 52, he is sprinting for roles that leave a dent rather than box office returns, stating that he tells stories with meaning. ‘I don’t want to be the guy who just flexes and saves the day anymore,’ he stated very openly. ‘I want to be the guy that tells stories that stay in your head.’ It risks them out because even though Black Adam was a disaster in terms of box office, The Smashing Machine has a chance of transforming this into a legacy.
In the final moments of the trailer, Kerr is seen signing a poster for a fan while saying, “Don’t ever get into fighting, kid.” This moment serves as an indication of the movie’s heart, which is about how people idolize and put athletes on a pedestal without fully knowing the jagged and dark reality of their lives.
The People Behind the Punches
The Smashing Machine makes an emotional impact, not because of celebrity, but rather because of the level of reality Safdie demanded. Featuring real-life fighters like Ryan Bader as Kerr’s rival Mark Coleman and Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn gives the film’s brawls a raw authenticity. The irony is even present in the soundtrack of Sinatra’s “My Way,” which highlights the paradox of a man who gained everything yet lost everything at the same time.
For Kerr, who is now 56 and sober, the movie serves as a form of redemption. “I remember the worst of me, and it’s strange to now see it acted out,” He said. “But if it helps someone out there, then it’s worth it.”
A New Chapter For The Rock
Johnson’s social media hinted at these shifts. No longer does he post gym selfies with glam captions. Now, he shares clips of himself preparing to study Kerr’s mannerisms and arguing with Safdie about the emotional weight of some scenes. “This ain’t ‘action hero’ work,’ he told the followers. “This is soul work,” he claimed.
As Hollywood monitors Johnson’s performance closely, the first buzz doesn’t sound optimistic. Auctioned off as ‘performed perception variation’ for Johnson—and harshly criticized—they do seem hopeful that the challenge will deliver. One festival programmer of the rough-cut told me ‘Raging Bull meets The Wrestler—with Johnson’s career-best.’
The Bigger Picture
The buzz around The Smashing Machine is that it satisfies the audience’s appeal to the multifaceted aspects of their heroes. Johnson, as well as the people behind Joker and The Iron Claw, proved that stories where heroes are instead faced with their mental struggles do generate interest. For him, that focus of the shift has to be personal, and right he is. “I’ve spent twenty years being The Rock,” he said. “Now I can finally be Dwayne.”
As Kerr’s reflection stares into the trailer’s mirror, revealing his shreds and fragments, it symbolizes brokenness and defiance.
This adds a metaphor for Johnson’s much more intriguing journey.
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