There has been a lot of buzz around the upcoming A24 film, The Smashing Machine, which stars Jungle Cruise vets Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Directed by Uncut Gems filmmaker Benny Safdie, the film marks a career shift for Johnson, who has become mostly synonymous with blockbuster favorites. It seems taking on more of a smaller-scale character study was a positive movie, as someone who has reportedly already seen The Smashing Machine shared glowing praise for the biopic, and now I can’t wait to see it.
Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera spoke to Variety about the significance of the festival as an awards season precursor, while also announcing the lineup for the upcoming 2025 festival. One of the films set for competition on the lineup, appropriately enough, is The Smashing Machine, and. Barbera revealed that he initially didn’t see the film as a contender for awards at the festival, but found his mind was changed after being incredibly impressed by what he saw from Safdie’s movie. He explained:
