The Smashing Machine (2025) – Critical Reception, Audience Opinions, and In‑Depth Review Analysis

Welcome to What’s After the Movie, your hub for comprehensive movie summaries, box‑office stats, quizzes, and deeper dives into film reception. Below you’ll find a thorough breakdown of how critics and everyday viewers responded to Benny Safdie’s latest sports biopic, The Smashing Machine (2025).

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Critical Consensus: How Top Review Outlets Rated The Smashing Machine (2025)

The critical landscape for The Smashing Machine is a patchwork of admiration for the performances and frustration with the film’s structural choices. On Metacritic, scores range from a high 80 (Slashfilm, NME) to a low 40 (Screen Rant), indicating a “mixed‑to‑positive” reception.

• Slashfilm (80) praised the movie as a “must‑watch for anyone who feels like a winner‑or‑loser in life’s big match,” emphasizing that the film’s emotional core outweighs any narrative imperfections.
• NME (80) called it “a thoroughly entertaining sports biopic that packs one hell of a sentimental gut‑punch,” highlighting the film’s ability to blend action with pathos.
• Slant Magazine (50) and Looper (50) were more skeptical. Slant noted the “retro vérité aesthetic” creates “déjà vu,” while Looper argued the meta‑narrative of Dwayne Johnson’s career “is more interesting than the film itself,” calling the two‑hour runtime “a bit of a bore.”
• Screen Rant (40) found the film’s strongest moments “outside the octagon,” when Johnson’s Kerr is in quiet interview settings, suggesting the script leans too heavily on repetitive fight sequences.

Positive voices also emerged from Paste Magazine (70), which described the film as “sensitive, texturally rich, and technically strong,” and RogerEbert.com (75), which praised the “ambitious, admirable effort” to humanize a legendary fighter, even if the final product isn’t strictly “entertaining.”

Overall, critics converge on two main points:

1. Performance Praise – Dwayne Johnson’s “career‑best” (Avi Offer) and Emily Blunt’s “truly transformative” (Looper) portrayals are repeatedly lauded.
2. Narrative Fatigue – Many reviewers feel the screenplay sticks to generic sports‑biopic beats, lacking the daring depth expected from a Safdie film.

The consensus, therefore, is that The Smashing Machine succeeds where it matters most—acting and visceral fight choreography—while stumbling in its storytelling ambition. For a full breakdown of critic scores, visit our [movie page for The Smashing Machine](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/movies/the-smashing-machine) and explore the linked [summary](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/summary) for a quick recap.

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Audience Voices: User Reviews Reveal a Polarized but Passionate Fanbase

User‑generated feedback on Metacritic paints a picture of enthusiastic praise for the lead performances juxtaposed with mixed feelings about the film’s pacing.

• Dany H (2/5) summed it up bluntly: “I don’t get the buzz! Emily is great though,” indicating that while Blunt shines, the overall film may not have resonated for all viewers.
• Troy S (5/5) highlighted the dual layers: “Surprisingly compelling when it’s just about Kerr and his career, surprisingly complex when it’s about his marriage.” This reflects a growing appreciation for the domestic drama that some viewers found surprisingly deep.
• Victor A., smg A., and Marc (all 5/5) all gave Johnson the highest accolades, calling his performance “the performance of his life” and “career‑best.” Their comments echo the critical praise for Johnson’s willingness to shed his larger‑than‑life persona.

Conversely, David L (3/5) echoed Paste Magazine’s critique, noting that the “melodrama gets in the way” despite the film’s technical strengths. The consensus among users mirrors the critic split: stellar acting versus a occasionally formulaic script.

A notable trend is the emotional response to the film’s quieter scenes. Screen Rant praised the backstage interview moments, and users like Harrison B praised “the quiet moments when Johnson’s Kerr is talking to an interviewer backstage,” suggesting that the film’s most compelling parts are its off‑cage introspection.

If you’re curious how these reactions affect the film’s cultural footprint, dive into our [movie Wiki](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/wiki) for a real‑time sentiment map, or test your knowledge with our [quiz page](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/game) dedicated to MMA biopics.

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Performance Spotlight: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, and the Supporting Cast

The standout element across both critic and audience commentary is the acting ensemble.

• Dwayne Johnson – Described by Avi Offer as delivering a “career‑best performance” and by multiple users as offering “the performance of his life,” Johnson’s transformation is a central selling point. He balances raw physicality with a haunted vulnerability, especially in scenes where his character hides painkiller addiction behind a stoic stare.
• Emily Blunt – Looper calls her “truly transformative,” while many fans note that her portrayal of Dawn Staples adds “a gut‑punch of sentimentality” (NME). Though some critics argue her character falls into a “worried spouse” trope, the chemistry between Johnson and Blunt is frequently cited as the film’s emotional engine.
• Supporting Talent – Ryan Bader (as fellow fighter) and other cast members receive nods for enriching the “MMA world” texture, though they rarely escape the “generic story beats” (Collider).

The technical craft—handheld fight choreography, sound design that mimics the thud of a cage—receives universal praise, reinforcing the Safdie signature of “immersion through chaos.”

For more detailed breakdowns of each performer’s filmography, explore our [profiles](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person) page, where you can see how Johnson’s dramatic pivot fits into his broader career trajectory.

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How The Smashing Machine Stands Among MMA Biopics and Safdie’s Filmography

When placed side‑by‑side with other MMA‑themed movies—such as the 2002 documentary “The Fighter” (not to be confused with the boxing drama) or the 2019 dramatization “Warrior”—The Smashing Machine occupies a niche that blends documentary grit with dramatic license.

• Slashfilm explicitly advises fans of early MMA documentaries to watch the 2002 film for “the ins and outs” of the sport, suggesting The Smashing Machine is better suited for those interested in “the people involved.”
• Compared to Safdie’s previous work (Uncut Gems, Good Time), critics note a stylistic shift: the retro vérité aesthetic (Slant) feels familiar, yet the film’s “déjà vu” factor hints at a safe‑play rather than the high‑stakes tension that defined Safdie’s earlier thrillers.
• Despite these criticisms, the handheld intensity during fight scenes mirrors Safdie’s signature urgency, satisfying viewers who crave “raw, searing combat” while leaving those who expected a deeper psychological plunge slightly disappointed.

In SEO terms, if you search “Benny Safdie MMA biopic reviews,” our analysis surfaces the key comparison points, allowing readers to understand where The Smashing Machine excels (performance, visceral fight work) and where it falls short (narrative originality).

Explore the [box office](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/box-office) for a quick glance at the film’s commercial impact, and see how the numbers align with critical sentiment.

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Dive Deeper with What’s After the Movie: Tools, Trivia, and Interactive Fun

If you’ve enjoyed this reception roundup, What’s After the Movie offers a suite of resources to keep the conversation alive:

• Full Plot Summaries & Detailed Analyses – Visit our [summary page](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/summary) for a concise recap of The Smashing Machine and how its themes intersect with modern MMA culture.
• Actor & Crew Profiles – Discover the full career arcs of Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, and Benny Safdie on our [profiles](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person) section.
• Box‑Office Metrics & Award Tracking – Check the latest figures on the [box‑office](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/box-office) page and see if the film garners future nominations on the [awards](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/award) hub.
• Concert‑Film Crossovers – While The Smashing Machine isn’t a concert film, fans of Safdie’s kinetic style may enjoy our curated [concert‑film](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/concert-film) list for similar energy.
• Quizzes & Games – Test your MMA‑movie knowledge with our interactive [quiz](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/game) that includes questions about fight choreography, biopic accuracy, and more.

Ready to explore? Click through any of the internal links above, and let What’s After the Movie become your go‑to destination for everything from movie wikis to interactive fan experiences.

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Outbound Links for Further Reading

Site	Link
IMDb	The Smashing Machine – IMDb
TMDB	The Smashing Machine – TMDB
Rotten Tomatoes	The Smashing Machine – Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic	The Smashing Machine – Metacritic
JustWatch	The Smashing Machine – JustWatch
Box Office Mojo	The Smashing Machine – Box Office Mojo
Letterboxd	The Smashing Machine – Letterboxd