Christopher Nolan Says The Rock Delivers The Year’s Best Performance In The Smashing Machine
It may have tapped out at the box office, but The Smashing Machine is delivering a critical knockout.
Christopher Nolan just threw a giant spotlight on Dwayne Johnson's new A24 drama, The Smashing Machine. The movie has not exactly been packing theaters, but Nolan is calling Johnson's turn as MMA legend Mark Kerr the performance to beat this year. That contrast alone is the story.
What Nolan said, and why it matters
"It’s heartbreaking. I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year."
Nolan dropped that praise on the latest episode of the Directors Guild of America's podcast, The Director's Cut, while talking with the film's writer-director, Benny Safdie. Coming from the Oppenheimer filmmaker, that is no small compliment — especially in a year already stacked with high-wattage turns, including Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson's new, widely celebrated political thriller, One Battle After Another.
What the movie actually is
The Smashing Machine stars Johnson as Mark Kerr, a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion who rocketed through the MMA world and then crashed into addiction, relationship turmoil, and the weight of being famous at the exact wrong time. Safdie — one half of the Uncut Gems duo — wrote and directed, and Emily Blunt co-stars as Dawn, Kerr's girlfriend.
Great reviews, rough box office
Critics have been into it (a solid 71% on Rotten Tomatoes), but ticket buyers have not shown up in the same way. For context, A24's other combat-sports biopic, 2023's The Iron Claw, turned out crowds and tripled its budget. This one, not so much — at least not yet.
- Worldwide gross so far: $13,865,177 (per Box Office Mojo)
- Estimated budget: $50 million
- Opening weekend: $5.9 million — the lowest debut of Johnson's career
- Current status: still playing in select theaters; not available digitally yet
So where does that leave it?
If the numbers hold, Johnson's most acclaimed performance could also end up being his biggest financial faceplant. On the other hand, Nolan publicly anointing it may nudge a few more people off the couch and into a theater. The Smashing Machine is out in theaters now, and we will see if the word-of-mouth catches up to the reviews.