“The Smashing Machine”, interview with director Benny Safdie

Writer-Director Benny Safdie lands the 82nd Venice Film festival 2025 competition with “The Smashing Machine“.

The film about pioneering UFC and Mixed Martial Art fighter Mark Kerr, sees Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson fully inhabiting the man and the machine in a moving performance.

It was actually Johnson’s idea to adapt Kerr’s story to the big screen: “He approached me in, I think, 2019, to possibly do this movie – Safdie recalls. As soon as I saw the documentary about Mark, I related to so many aspects of his personality. Just the element of having to put yourself aside for other people, hide your emotions, hide your feelings, for the support of others and the constant pressure maybe to do that. And I just I just got the guy and I loved him and I threw an unspoken feeling. I just knew Dwayne felt exactly the same way“.

“The Smashing Machine” reunites Dwayne Johnson with his longtime friend, actress Emily Blunt in the role of his partner. Their love relationship is at the centre of Mark Kerr’s story as they struggle to make it work while going through major transformations in life.

Benny Safdie then walks us along his work with the music in the film, especially when he had Dwayne Johnson dancing to his work out routine on Elvis melancholic version of My Way.

The post “The Smashing Machine”, interview with director Benny Safdie appeared first on Fred Film Radio.