First ‘The Smashing Machine’ Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes Signal Massive Shift in The Rock’s Acting Career

The first wave of reviews for The Smashing Machine has arrived, and critics are in agreement: Dwayne Johnson has delivered the most raw, vulnerable, and transformative performance of his career. Directed by Benny Safdie, the biopic follows the rise and struggles of UFC legend Mark Kerr, nicknamed “The Smashing Machine,” with Emily Blunt starring as his then-wife Dawn Staples. Johnson, long known for his blockbuster roles in action tentpoles, is stepping into wholly different territory here. And from the sound of it, he’s silenced critics who doubted his range.