The pre-release conversation around Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine was largely tied to changes in star Dwayne Johnson’s physique, and post-release talks have centered a lot on the film’s lower-than-expected box office performance, which marked a record low for a Johnson-led project. But behind a lot of those conversations is a din of acclaim for the wrestler-turned-actor’s performance, with some of the most notable praises coming from Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan. And it seems like those words really wove a path straight to Johnson’s heart.
