The Smashing Machine Might Be the Knockout We Didn’t See Coming
Dwayne Johnson transforms into UFC legend Mark Kerr with Oscar-winning prosthetic wizardry that might just be his secret weapon.
August 10, 2025 | By Lisa Hatzenbeller
Before the first red carpet is rolled out at Venice, there’s already a contender that has awards-watchers leaning forward. Benny Safdie’s first solo directing effort without his brother Josh — The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson as UFC legend Mark Kerr. This isn’t the kind of glossy biopic that politely asks for your attention. It looks like the kind that walks into the room, takes a deep breath, and dares you not to watch.
On paper, it’s a true-story sports drama about UFC champion Mark Kerr. But the real story here is Dwayne Johnson — not The Rock, not the blockbuster charmer — but a man stepping so far into another’s skin that he’s almost unrecognizable.
That’s not an accident. To play Kerr, Johnson underwent a substantial physical transformation under the guidance of two-time Oscar-winning prosthetic makeup designer Kazu Hiro (Darkest Hour, Bombshell). Hiro’s work doesn’t just create likeness — it creates presence.
It’s the kind of craft that makes you say, “you have to see it to believe it,” and historically, it catches the eye of both makeup branch voters and acting branch voters.
Here’s the stat that makes Oscar-watchers perk up: in the last 25 years, 20 ceremonies have featured films nominated for both Best Makeup and Hairstyling and at least one acting category. That crossover has produced 45 acting nominations — and 16 acting wins.
Think Charlize Theron in Monster. Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour. Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Brendan Fraser in The Whale. Physical transformation, when married to performance, is one of the Academy’s longest-running love stories.
Safdie directing also adds intrigue. His films (Uncut Gems, Good Time) thrive in the chaotic overlap between ambition and destruction. In The Smashing Machine, that’s baked right into the DNA. Kerr was a man at the top of his game, battling both opponents and his own demons. In the hands of a filmmaker who understands chaos, this isn’t just a fight movie. It’s a character study in bruises, both physical and psychological.
Venice will be the first audience to see whether the film lands like a champion or fades into the lineup. But one thing is already clear — the combination of Johnson’s career-turning role, Hiro’s transformative work, and Safdie’s eye for the human cost of ambition makes The Smashing Machine more than just another contender. It’s a fight worth watching.
And if the history books are right, it might just be the knockout we didn’t see coming.
What are your thoughts on makeup and the Oscars? Do you think it can make a performance award-worthy? Reply on X @OscarObsessedADHD or join the conversation on today’s Instagram post @OscarObsessedADHD. I’ll be tracking transformations like this all season — and seeing if history repeats itself.
