what is the smashing machine about

The Smashing Machine is a 2025 biographical sports drama film directed by Benny Safdie, starring Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr, a former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter. The film focuses on Kerr’s intense and turbulent career from 1997 to 2000 during the early years of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), capturing his rise to success, struggles with opioid addiction, emotional turmoil, and the sacrifices he made for the sport. It portrays a deeply human and complex character torn between his professional ambitions and personal demons, highlighting not just the physical brutality of mixed martial arts but also the emotional and psychological price fighters pay. The film is noted for its raw and naturalistic storytelling, eschewing typical sports movie clichés, and features powerful performances, especially from Johnson, which many consider the best of his career.