A smorgasbord of tired biopic tropes piped into one impressively dull sports drama, The Smashing Machine follows a UFC pioneer battling opioid addiction and a toxic relationship while clawing his way to the top of the sport. The problem is, even for a world-class grappler, there’s simply nothing here to hold onto. The characters are flat, the chemistry shallow, the performances serviceable+ at best, and the whole production feels strangely low energy, especially considering the film comes from Benny Safdie of the Safdie Bros, the man (partially) responsible for two of the most electric films of the 2010’s in Good Time and Uncut Gems. Read More
