It was big news when Josh and Benny Safdie, the brotherly filmmaking duo behind “Heaven Knows What,” “Good Time,” and “Uncut Gems,” decided they were going to venture out and work on their own projects. Where Josh teamed up with Timothée Chalamet on “Marty Supreme,” Benny opted to collaborate with Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson for “The Smashing Machine.” Based on the 2002 documentary of the same name, the film is a dramatization of the experiences of extreme wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr as he deals with various personal and professional hurdles. In addition to painting a tender portrait of a man on the ropes, the complex character study also gives a peek into the toxic relationship between Kerr and his girlfriend, Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt).
Despite all of the hype around “The Smashing Machine” being Johnson’s career revitalization, the film sadly couldn’t muster much public interest. It not only flopped at the box office, it also stands as the worst opening weekend for a Johnson-led film ever, garnering $6 million against a $50 million budget. “The Smashing Machine,” in spite of this, has earned plenty of accolades, with /Film’s Bill Bria praising it as an MMA drama that packs a subversive punch. It also won the Silver Lion at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
If you didn’t get to see the film during its short theatrical window, then you now have the chance. As of November 4, 2025, A24 has made “The Smashing Machine” available already on PVOD markets like Prime Video, YouTube, and Fandango at Home, along with a Blu-ray pre-order on its website.
Read more: Actors Who Damaged Their Bodies Forever For A Movie Role
The Smashing Machine is already available on PVOD and will get a physical media release in January
Dawn Staples and Mark Kerr talking to a doctor in The Smashing Machine – A24
If you decide to check out “The Smashing Machine” on any of the PVOD platforms, renting it will come out to a $19.99 price tag, while purchasing a digital copy will come out to $24.99 (at least in the early going). But if you’re a physical media person who wants to add Safdie’s tender MMA drama to your collection, both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray are currently available for pre-order on the A24 website. Although there’s no official release date, they’re expected to ship sometime in January 2026. This follows the A24 practice of releasing physical copies of its movies in-house, as it can give it the packaging and presentation an extra boost. In terms of bonus features, those unfortunately appear to be exclusive to the Blu-ray release. Specifically:
Director’s Commentary with Benny Safdie
Featurette – “What It Means to be a Fighter”
Set of Six Collectible Postcards
In spite of “The Smashing Machine” being a financial disappointment, it hasn’t deterred Safdie from working with Johnson. Indeed, the pair are set to reunite over at Amazon MGM with “Lizard Music,” an adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater’s sci-fi/fantasy children’s novel. Safdie will once again pull solo directorial and screenwriting duties.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
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