Directed, written, produced and edited by Benny Safdie

Starring: Dwayn Johnson and Emily Blunt

★★★½

With The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie makes his solo directorial debut — and it’s immediately clear what he brought to his decade-long creative partnership with his brother, Josh. This biopic of MMA pioneer Mark Kerr is unlike any other, thanks largely to Benny’s uncompromising commitment to realism and his refusal to dramatize or sensationalize the true story.

Dwayne Johnson — notably dropping his wrestling moniker, The Rock — delivers the most transformative and affecting performance of his career. Many doubted whether Johnson had this kind of role in him, but he proves them wrong with a portrayal that is both physically grueling and emotionally raw. Buried beneath prosthetics and ad

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