The reviews are in for A24's The Smashing Machine, a new project that has shown a different side to Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Though Johnson shows plenty of muscle in the biopic of UFC alum Mark Kerr, this film is far more serious than his usual action blockbuster/family friendly options.
Johnson's more grounded performance as Kerr has earned him praise among critics. Deadline's Damon Wise writes:
Dwayne Johnson owns the whole thing with his truly remarkable work as fighter Mark Kerr, disappearing so fully underneath Kazu Hiru’s astonishing prosthetics that the opening of the film, presented as contemporary footage from an event in Sao Paulo 1997, looks genuinely like the real thing.
The Independent praises Johnson for going against his usual type, and believes that this film could have long-term effects for how audiences view the wrestler-turned-actor.
This is the most raw and vulnerable that Johnson has ever been on screen. Once you’ve seen him this exposed, you won’t watch his typical action movie stunts in quite the same way ever again.
Variety described Johnson’s performance as a “revelation” and heralded the film itself as a standout among the roster of conventional sports movies.
The Smashing Machine isn’t a sports movie that wants to jerk a Pavlovian response of triumph out of us. It’s after something subtler and more moving.
Currently, the film holds an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, surpassing other Johnson films like Beyond The Mat and Furious 7. A24 will release the film theatrically on October 3.