Christopher Nolan Crowns His Favorite 2025 Performance — And It’s Not Leonardo DiCaprio

I did not have 'Christopher Nolan stans The Rock' on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are. Nolan just named his favorite performance of the year so far, and no, it is not Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another'.

Nolan's pick: Dwayne Johnson in 'The Smashing Machine'

On 'The Director's Cut' podcast (via Men's XP), Nolan singled out Dwayne Johnson's turn as Mark Kerr in A24's 'The Smashing Machine' as the best acting he has seen this year. That is a bold call considering the field, and also a little surprising given the pedigree around PTA and DiCaprio.

'It is heartbreaking. I think it is an incredible performance. I do not think you will see a better performance this year.'

That is Nolan, not exactly known for loose praise, going all in on The Rock's most dramatic role to date.

The box office was rough, and Johnson knows it

'The Smashing Machine' was positioned as Johnson's big Hollywood reset after 'Black Adam' and 'Red One' underperformed. Instead, the film opened soft and then took a steeper dip in week two. Johnson addressed the shortfall head-on in an Instagram post, focusing on the one thing he could actually control.

'In our storytelling world, you can not control box office results - but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere.'

He also thanked director Benny Safdie for the shot, gave credit to Mark Kerr, and showed love to everyone who has bought a ticket in these first weeks.

Awards season implications

2025 has been a strong year for performances, even if not every title is stacking cash. If you are looking at the Best Actor race right now, it feels like a three-way face-off:

• Dwayne Johnson for 'The Smashing Machine' (A24)
• Leonardo DiCaprio for 'One Battle After Another' (Paul Thomas Anderson)
• Timothee Chalamet for 'Marty Supreme' (being called his best work yet)

Nolan's endorsement is not nothing. People in the industry listen when he talks, and that kind of spotlight can nudge voters - and curious moviegoers - toward a performance they might have skipped. It does not guarantee anything, but it definitely tilts the conversation in Johnson's favor.

The takeaway

Whether or not it translates to an Oscar nod, Johnson clearly poured everything into playing Mark Kerr. Nolan calling it the year's best will only get more folks to check it out and make up their own minds.

'The Smashing Machine' is now playing in theaters across the U.S. If you have seen it, I want to hear what you think of Johnson's performance.