The Smashing Machine: Dwayne Johnson tipped for Oscar buzz as film earns standing ovation
The film received a 15-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival overnight
- Dwayne Johnson’s latest film is already being given ‘Oscar-buzz’ treatment after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
- ‘The Smashing Machine’ is based on the life of former UFC and PRIDE fighter Mark Kerr.
- The film is directed by ‘Uncut Gems’ director Benny Safdie and produced by powerhouse A24.
A new biopic starring former WWE superstar Dwayne Johnson has earned a standing ovation after its premiere and is already one of the highest-rated movies this year on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘The Smashing Machine,’ based around the life of former MMA fighter Mark Kerr, had its world premiere this week as part of the Venice Film Festival, with the A24 production, directed by Benny Safdie (’Uncut Gems’), highlighting the highs and lows the UFC and PRIDE fighter experienced during his lifetime.
The film is partly based on the 2002 documentary, ‘The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr,’ directed by John Hyams.
While there was a lot of discussion on the very sharp change of physique Johnson displayed upon his arrival in Venice this year, all anyone could talk about after the premiere was the quality of the film and Johnson’s performance in the film, which some are already touting as an early Oscar contender.
The film received a 15-minute standing ovation, with clips circulating online showing Johnson very visibly moved by the response while standing next to his co-star Emily Blunt, who last worked alongside the action star in the 2021 Disney film, ‘Jungle Cruise.’
Early critical reaction to the film has also been overwhelmingly positive, with ‘The Smashing Machine’ currently sitting on a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%, while over on Metacritic, the film is currently holding a score of 75 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating ‘generally favourable’ reviews.
Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com stated that the film is “its most taut and upsetting when showing Mark’s crisis of confidence and the road it puts him on,” while Damon Wise of Deadline Hollywood Daily said that the film is “that rare beast, a biopic that’s light on the bio and resistant to being a pic. It’s a film about a human being, and its effect is strangely haunting, since Dwayne Johnson seems to do everything while doing nothing.
When is The Smashing Machine released in the United Kingdom?
The film is scheduled to be released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on October 3
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