The Smashing Machine review
By Joel Humphries · Watched 10.09.25
★★½ 2.5 / 5
Spoiler-free review
The Smashing Machine is well acted, confidently directed and visually impressive, yet all that craft is devoted to people whose lives never persuaded me they belonged on screen. Instead of discovering a compelling sports drama beneath the public competition, the film settles into a slice of life about dull people sustaining a toxic relationship. Technical quality can make a story legible and handsome; it cannot make the story inherently worth telling. I respected the production far more than I cared about anyone it portrayed.
Full review — contains spoilers
The acting was good. The direction was good. It looked great visually. I just don't think this is a story worthy of being put to film. Instead of a compelling sports film, this is basically just a slice of life into the lives of very boring people in a toxic relationship.