Dwayne Johnson Oscar Buzz Heats Up After Critics Call His Biopic Role 'Extraordinary'

File this under: pleasant surprises. The first reactions to Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine are in, and while the movie itself is sparking debate, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is getting that rare, across-the-board applause for actually disappearing into a character.

What this is

Safdie (flying solo without brother Josh this time) directs a bruising biopic about Mark Kerr, the legendary mixed martial artist and early UFC star whose life outside the cage was a lot messier than his undefeated aura inside it. Johnson plays Kerr, Emily Blunt co-stars, and the whole thing premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

The early read on the movie vs. the performance

The consensus so far: the film is divisive; Johnson is not. Variety is calling his turn extraordinary. Deadline goes even further, saying he flat-out owns the film and vanishes under Kazu Hiro's prosthetics to the point that an opening sequence designed to look like 1997 Sao Paulo event footage genuinely passes for the real thing. (Inside baseball note: that is exactly the kind of trick Hiro, the two-time Oscar-winning makeup artist, loves pulling.) IndieWire says Johnson is a perfect fit for Safdie's vibe, nailing the split between Kerr's intimidating in-cage beast mode and the wounded, insecure guy when the lights go off. Radio Times is cooler on the movie itself, arguing it can be a bit on-the-nose and not quite as operatic as you might expect, but still says Johnson smashes it.

• Variety: calls Johnson's performance extraordinary
• Deadline: says he owns the film and truly disappears under Kazu Hiro's work; the faux-1997 Sao Paulo opener looks authentic
• IndieWire: praises how he bridges the gap between Kerr's octagon persona and his off-cage vulnerabilities
• Radio Times: thinks the film can be too on-the-nose and lacks some high drama, but Johnson still delivers

For what it is worth, the Rotten Tomatoes score is sitting at a healthy 89 percent right now. And yes, the O-word is already floating around. If the momentum holds, this could be the performance that finally puts Johnson in the Best Actor conversation after years of megaton blockbusters.

Johnson on why he did it

I had a burning desire to take on a more dramatic role like this, but sometimes it is hard to know what you are capable of when you have been pigeon-holed into something.

That was Johnson at Venice (via the BBC), and frankly, this sounds like the exact kind of role he has been waiting to swing at.

The Safdie factor

Benny Safdie previously teamed with brother Josh on Good Time and Uncut Gems, so you know the drill: pressure-cooker choices, bad decisions, and a camera that never backs off. Meanwhile, Josh has his own project on deck, Marty Supreme, starring Timothee Chalamet.

Release date

The Smashing Machine hits UK cinemas on Friday 3 October.