Nolan praises Johnson's performance in The Smashing Machine

Christopher Nolan has publicly praised Dwayne Johnson’s performance in The Smashing Machine, calling it “an incredible” and “heartbreaking” portrayal, during a conversation with director Benny Safdie on The Directors Cut podcast. The endorsement comes as the Safdie-directed biopic of mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr has won critical praise and festival honors but registered modest ticket sales since its early October release.

Nolan told Safdie, “I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years,” and added that the film is “a really remarkable and radical piece of work that will be understood more and more over time.” Safdie, who appeared in Nolan’s Oppenheimer, developed the project while working on Nolan’s film and said he first approached co-star Emily Blunt during an Oppenheimer event.

Critics have highlighted Johnson’s dramatic transformation from action star to a nuanced lead, noting the film’s raw storytelling, gritty tone and use of 16mm cinematography to depict Kerr’s rise in early mixed martial arts, his battles with painkiller addiction and the strain on his relationship with Dawn Staples, portrayed...