1 of 6 | Dwayne Johnson plays Mark Kerr in "The Smashing Machine," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of A24
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The Smashing Machine, in theaters Friday, makes for an interesting biopic, as mixed martial arts fighters rarely get the same cinematic treatment as musicians or historical figures. It is also a standout film for star Dwayne Johnson, who gets to show more vulnerability than his action or comic roles.
Johnson plays Mark Kerr, a real-life MMA fighter whose story was previously chronicled in a 2002 documentary of the same name. The 2025 film follows Kerr from 1997 to 2000, before the Ultimate Fighting Championship became mainstream.
Early in the film, Mark explains his sport to a grandmother in a doctor's office waiting room. That appointment also shows Mark scanning the drugs and requesting to pay for prescriptions out of pocket, so as not to deal with insurance.
True to life, Mark was addicted to painkillers to cope with his injuries in the ring, and both the film and documentary show him using them at home. He seems to spend as much time procuring drugs as preparing for fights, which gives context to the magnitude of his addiction.
