The Smashing Machine: OKCMOA Awards Season Preview
Schedule
Thu Nov 20 2025 at 07:30 pm to 09:45 pm
UTC-06:00Location
Oklahoma City Museum of Art | Oklahoma City, OK
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Winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival, acclaimed indie filmmaker Benny Safdie (Good Time, Uncut Gems) makes his solo directorial debut with The Smashing Machine, a gritty and gripping portrait of UFC legend Mark Kerr, featuring a transformative performance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.Benny Safdie | 2025 | In English | 123 minutes | R (language and some drug abuse) | DCP
Buy tickets: https://www.okcmoa.com/visit/events/the-smashing-machine/
Watch the trailer:
Please note: The screening of "The Smashing Machine" on Sunday, November 16 at 3 pm will be presented with on-screen captions.
“In one of the year’s most surprising pairings, Dwayne Johnson and indie icon Benny Safdie team up in 'The Smashing Machine,' the powerful story of pioneering mixed martial arts/UFC fighter Mark Kerr. Kerr helped grow the sport’s popularity in its early days, but the fights’ brutal demands took a toll, eventually leading to painkiller addiction. The constant need to travel, since the most lucrative early matches were always in Japan, didn’t help either.
Superficially, Safdie and his star seem to be playing against expectations, but once you dig deeper there are clear career through lines. Johnson is, of course, known for the humour he brings to action films. A similar schism is evident in Kerr’s soft-spoken manner. He was gigantic, but his demeanour belied the intense furor of the sport. Johnson gives an eye-opening performance, abetted by Emily Blunt as Dawn, Kerr’s devoted partner, tormented by the price he pays.
The story is told in a quasi-documentary style, reminiscent of the hyperrealistic approach of the Safdie brothers’ groundbreaking 'Good Time' and 'Uncut Gems.' And all of the actors enthusiastically buy into the documentary tone. That sense of realism is buoyed by the presence of a slew of MMA legends like Bas Rutten and Ryan Bader, and there’s even a cameo from Kerr himself.
But perhaps the film’s greatest virtue is the way it upends the well-worn, familiar conventions of its genre. In its grit, its documentary feel, and its raw honesty, 'The Smashing Machine' is a sports film unlike any other.” -Robyn Citizen, Toronto International Film Festival
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Where is it happening?
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr,Oklahoma City,OK,United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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