In The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie’s hefty MMA biopic, Johnson displays a new kind of strength as Mark Kerr—the MMA fighter and UFC heavyweight whose early stardom was consumed by addiction and fame. (L-R) Dwayne Johnson | Credit: Cheryl DunnA Ringside SeatBenny Safdie brings the same jittery energy to The Smashing Machine that made Uncut Gems and Good Time so electric. (L-R) Dwayne Johnson | Credit: Eric ZachanowichFrom Icon to EverymanMore character study than sports movie, The Smashing Machine is a biopic in the vein of A24’s The Iron Claw, aiming to find the men behind the muscle. (L-R) Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt | Credit: Eric ZachanowichThe Other OctagonAs Kerr’s girlfriend Dawn Staples, Emily Blunt is just as vital as Johnson. The Final BellThe Smashing Machine is less a rise-and-fall sports movie than a character study about the toll of addiction and self-punishment on the body, the mind and the heart.