Dwayne Johnson’s Grittiest Turn Yet: A24’s The Smashing Machine Hits VOD — Will Audiences Step Into the Ring?

Here we go: the Dwayne Johnson A24 drama that critics were hyped about, the one where he fully transforms under Benny Safdie, faceplanted at the box office. Now it is getting a second life at home. If you skipped it in theaters (and clearly a lot of people did), today is your mulligan.

• What: A24's 'The Smashing Machine,' directed by Benny Safdie
• Who: Dwayne Johnson plays MMA legend Mark Kerr; Emily Blunt co-stars as Kerr's girlfriend, Dawn Staples
• When: Opened October 3; now available on VOD today
• Box office: $20.2 million domestic/global (against a $40 million budget)
• The story: Kerr rises in the early days of MMA to become a UFC champion, then battles painkiller addiction and a volatile relationship that shreds his body and mind
• The wrinkle: Johnson publicly addressed the flop, which he almost never does, and focused on the creative swing he took

Let me back up. This is not a typical Rock movie. Safdie puts Johnson through the wringer as Mark Kerr, and Johnson leans all the way in. It is rough, raw, and more character study than crowd-pleaser. Critics embraced that. Audiences, at least theatrically, did not. The film opened October 3 and topped out at $20.2 million on a $40 million budget. Ouch.

Johnson actually jumped on Instagram to talk about it, and he steered the conversation away from grosses and toward the work itself. Here is the heart of what he said:

"From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched The Smashing Machine. In our storytelling world, you can't control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity. It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life."

That tracks with what a lot of early reactions said. JoBlo's Chris Bumbray was all-in on the movie. He figured it would be a win for A24 both with critics and with Johnson's fanbase, praised Johnson for reinventing himself, and called the film worth the heavy lift for everyone involved. The first part did not pan out at the box office, but the reinvention is real.

So yeah, the theatrical run was a bust. But if you were curious, or you just prefer watching bruising dramas at home, 'The Smashing Machine' hits VOD today. You can finally see what Johnson and Safdie were going for without carving out a theater trip.

Are you checking it out now that it is a click away? And be honest: what is keeping you from theaters these days — ticket prices, time, the comfort of your couch, or the short sprint to digital releases?