Dwanye ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s new A24 movie The Smashing Machine may not have had a successful theatrical release, but the sports biopic has earned a rave review from none other than Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan.
“It’s heartbreaking. I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year,” said Nolan of Johnson’s portrayal of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, whilst speaking with director Benny Safdie in the most recent episode of The Directors Guild of America’s The Director’s Cut podcast.
This is big praise coming from the king of epics, especially considering we have seen other actors shine bright this year, such as Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s new and widely celebrated political thriller, One Battle After Another.
The Smashing Machine stars Johnson as two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr, who shot to stardom in the MMA world but faced struggles with drug addiction, relationships, and fame whilst at the top. The biopic is written and directed by one half of Uncut Gems’ directing duo, Benny Safdie, and also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr’s girlfriend, Dawn.
However, despite A24’s 2023 wrestling biopic The Iron Claw managing to draw moviegoers to theaters and earn its budget back three times over, The Smashing Machine has so far failed to draw up much buzz in the cinema. The movie has so far earned $13,865,177 worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, despite debuting to positive critical response and a respectable 71% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Smashing Machine had an estimated budget of $50 million, meaning that Johnson’s best performance may just turn out to be his biggest box office blunder. With its opening weekend ringing in just $5.9 million, the movie has already marked the star’s lowest opening ever. However, the movie is not yet available on digital and is still in selected cinemas, meaning Nolan’s comments may just drive a second wave of film buffs to the big screen.
The Smashing Maine is out in theaters now. For more on what to watch, check out our guide to the rest of this year’s best upcoming movies.
