• 177.914 movies
  • 12.203 shows
  • 33.971 seasons
  • 646.932 actors
  • 9.370.271 votes
Avatar
Profile
 
banner banner

The Smashing Machine (2025)

Biography | 123 minutes

Genre: Biography / Sport

Duration: 123 minuten

Country: United States / Japan / Canada

Directed by: Benny Safdie

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader

IMDb score: 6,4 (55.634)

Releasedate: 2 October 2025

The Smashing Machine plot

"The unforgettable true story of a UFC legend."

'The Smashing Machine' follows the true story of Mark Kerr. In the year 2000, Mark is a legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC at the height of his career. Meanwhile, he struggles with addictions, winning, love and friendship.

logo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimage

Social Media

Full Cast & Crew

Actors and actresses

Dawn Staples

Elizabeth Coleman

Mark Coleman

McKenzie Coleman

Bas Rutten

Igor Vovchanchyn

Hans Nijman

Kazuyuki Fujita

Reviews & comments


avatar

Guest

  • messages
  • votes

Let op: In verband met copyright is het op MovieMeter.nl niet toegestaan om de inhoud van externe websites over te nemen, ook niet met bronvermelding. Je mag natuurlijk wel een link naar een externe pagina plaatsen, samen met je eigen beschrijving of eventueel de eerste alinea van de tekst. Je krijgt deze waarschuwing omdat het er op lijkt dat je een lange tekst hebt geplakt in je bericht.

* denotes required fields.

Pay attention! You cannot change your username afterwards.

* denotes required fields.
avatar van james_cameron

james_cameron

  • 6983 messages
  • 9777 votes

Beautifully acted by a nearly unrecognizable Dwayne Johnson and solidly shot, but what was I actually watching? The true story of MMA legend Mark Kerr isn't exactly captivating, and director Benny Safdie doesn't really try to make it anything interesting. It just meanders along from one unmemorable scene to the next.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van kleintje 2

kleintje 2

  • 473 messages
  • 965 votes

From Dwayne Johnson's powerful and frankly career-defining portrayal of Mark Kerr, to the tranquil original score and nostalgic atmosphere, to the striking visual style and home-video presentation, to the familiar storylines within an unusual structure, something about 'The Smashing Machine' feels surprisingly atypical and yet, in my opinion, pleasantly familiar. It makes for an easy-to-understand, yet hard-to-define, realistic experience that reveals the true meaning of defeat and personal triumph.

A powerful biographical film adaptation of Safdie who has more to offer than you might think.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van filmkul

filmkul

  • 2469 messages
  • 2245 votes

Mediocre drama. The story isn't particularly captivating. Nothing interesting happens. The film meanders along and borders on tedious. The matches are also on a similar level. It's all a bit bland. Not that the film is bad, but with the exception of a few scenes, it simply doesn't do anything. The acting is decent, though. Blunt and Johnson are evenly matched and deliver excellent performances. Visually, it's decent. 2.5/3.0

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van mrklm

mrklm

  • 11374 messages
  • 9897 votes

With her, Dwayne Johnson is almost unrecognizable as Mark Kerr, a former wrestler who competed in mixed martial arts from 1997 to 2000, when it still had a dubious reputation. Johnson throws himself wholeheartedly into this rare opportunity to prove himself as a dramatic actor. He delivers excellent work and finds a great sparring partner in Emily Blunt (as Kerr's girlfriend, Dawn Staples). Unfortunately, the script is rather hackneyed. Several MMF stars appear in supporting roles. Dutch-American Bas Rutten plays himself, and the real Mark Kerr appears in the epilogue. Entertaining, but superficial.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original