In the late 1990s, up-and-coming mixed martial artist Mark Kerr aspires to become the greatest fighter in the world. However, he must also battle his opioid dependence and a volatile relationship with his girlfriend Dawn.
Discover the main themes in The Smashing Machine (2025). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.It portrays cycles of use, attempts at rehab, and relapse, without easy solutions. Recovery is shown as a turbulent, fragile process requiring support and self-discipline. The theme highlights the human cost behind a fighter's fame.
Benny Safdie ’s The Smashing Machine is not a triumphant sports movie in the traditional sense—it’s an unfiltered, nerve-jangling character study about the cost of physical greatness and the fragility of the men who achieve it. Adapted from the 2002 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, Safdie’s film is both intimate and punishing ...
