TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE SMASHING MACHINE
(15) 123 min
★★★☆☆
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is transformed by prosthetics for his role as Mark Kerr.
When major stars take on roles that require facial prosthetics, it often indicates their desire to be taken more seriously.
Consider Steve Carell in Foxcatcher and Maestro.
In The Smashing Machine — directed by Benny Safdie — it’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s turn to embrace this transformation.
This marks a shift from the typical action hero roles he is renowned for, as Johnson’s nose, lips, eyebrows, and hairline are altered to portray the fighter.
However, he remains somewhat recognizable.
As a professional wrestler, The Rock already possesses the imposing physique of a fighter.
Acting Muscles
He is comfortable on screen with his signature biceps prominently displayed.
Yet, here he demonstrates that he can indeed showcase his acting abilities as well.
American amateur champion Kerr was one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts at the turn of the millennium, long before the sport became the global sensation it is today.
We meet him as an undefeated champion, skilled at then-allowed, brutally violent moves like eye gouges, driven by the will to win, and unable to fathom the idea of losing.
However, as painkiller addiction takes hold and he faces his first defeat, he returns home as a human wrecking ball, destroying his house in sheer frustration.
Johnson portrays this rage-fueled outburst with remarkable skill, allowing us to grasp it as a loss of control rooted in profound vulnerability.
His girlfriend Dawn, played excellently by her actress, can only watch as the “big man she loves” wrecks their kitchen with his bare hands.
The real Kerr eventually recognized and overcame his dependence on narcotics, returning to the ring after rehab.
As a sports narrative, this follows a familiar triumph-over-tragedy arc, with few surprises.
While the performances are captivating, the script lacks depth.
Is this intense watch a knockout? Not entirely.
But could the prosthetics earn Johnson some accolades during awards season?
They just might.
A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE
(15) 112 mins
★★★★★
Rebecca Ferguson delivers a career-best performance as security specialist Captain Olivia Walker.
KATHRYN BIGELOW has done it once again, this time focusing on the nightmare we all try to ignore – a nuclear strike.
The director’s gripping, claustrophobic, and brilliantly staged film captures your attention from the very first frame.
The plot is straightforward yet terrifying – an 18-minute window between a rogue missile launch in the Pacific and its expected strike, viewed from multiple perspectives.
Every decision, every glance at a screen, and every phone call carries immense significance. Uncertainty is the true enemy here, and Bigelow extracts every ounce of drama from it.
The cast is impeccable. The President, caught between disbelief and duty, is compelling, while Rebecca Ferguson gives a career-best performance as security specialist Captain Olivia Walker.
Additionally, Jared Harris, Gabriel Basso, Jonah Hauer-King, and others provide depth as they attempt to maintain a crumbling chain of command.
This film is not just a thriller; it’s a heart-stopping reflection on human fragility. If you desire cinema that allows you to feel the weight of the world in real time, this is the one.
LINDA MARRIC
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HIM
(18) 96 mins
★☆☆☆☆
Retired legend Isaiah (Marlon Wayans, pictured) invites Cameron to a secluded training camp.
The film Him feels as if it has been pieced together from a dozen better movies, without ever discovering its own identity.
In summary, this is a disorganized mess.
The narrative follows Cameron (Tyriq Withers), a promising quarterback whose bright future is der
