The best streaming options to enjoy ‘The Smashing Machine’ from home:
Rent or Purchase on Prime Video: $19.99 or $24.99
Shop Now
Rent or Purchase on Apple TV: $19.99 or $24.99
Shop Now
HBO Max (With Ads): $109.99/year (save $21.89)
Get Deal
Max Standard: $184.99/year (save $36.89)
Get Deal
HBO Max Student: $5.49 per month for 12 months (save 50%)
Get Deal
HBO Max Basic With Ads: Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $10.99/month)
Get Deal
HBO Max Basic With Ads: Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $10.99 per month)
Get Deal
Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max: $19.99 per month (with ads), $32.99 per month (no ads) (save up to 41%)
Get Deal
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is ready for a different experience. Renowned for his vibrant persona and intense action-comedy roles, The Smashing Machine showcases him in a more serious, dramatic part as MMA fighter Mark Kerr. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, followed by a screening at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where Kristy Puchko, the film editor at Mashable, critiqued it. The film received mostly favorable reviews, particularly praising Johnson’s portrayal. It also features Emily Blunt as Kerr’s partner Dawn, Ryan Bader as UFC champion Mark Coleman, and Oleksandr Usyk as MMA fighter Igor Vovchanchyn.
If you didn’t catch it in cinemas, you can now view The Smashing Machine at home. Here’s what you need to know to watch it — including where and when.
What is The Smashing Machine about?
Penned and helmed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems), The Smashing Machine narrates the real-life events of MMA fighter Mark Kerr (Johnson) during the UFC’s formative years in the ’90s. The storyline spans several years, taking viewers to Japan for the Pride FC competition and back to the U.S. for training. It explores his personal battles and tumultuous love life with Dawn Staples (Blunt) as he aims to excel in the ring.
Catch a glimpse of Johnson’s transformation in the official trailer:
Is The Smashing Machine worth watching?
Though The Smashing Machine may not have dominated the box office, Johnson’s metamorphosis into Mark Kerr and his performance alone make it worth seeing. The film won the Silver Lion at the Venice International Film Festival and holds a 70 percent critic rating and a 75 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mashable’s reviewer states, “Ultimately, Johnson delivers a career-defining performance that should solidify his ability to tackle more substantial, even artistic material. Blunt gives her all in a challenging role, and Safdie, in his directorial debut without his brother/Uncut Gems co-director Josh Safdie, takes significant risks. It’s unfortunate that his focus wasn’t sharper on what resonated, and what left the audience wanting more.”
Explore Mashable’s complete review of The Smashing Machine.
How to view The Smashing Machine at home
While we anticipate an official streaming date for The Smashing Machine, you can still enjoy it at home by purchasing or renting via digital video-on-demand starting Nov. 4. Here are the specifics.
Buy or rent digitally
As of Nov. 4, The Smashing Machine is accessible for purchase or rental on digital video-on-demand platforms. You can acquire the movie for your digital library or rent it for 30 days. Remember, if you opt for the rental, you’ll have 30 days to start watching, but only 48 hours to complete it after you begin.
You can acquire and rent the film at these retailers:
Prime Video — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Google Play — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Stream it on HBO Max (at a later date)
A24 has established a multi-year output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, ensuring that new A24 theatrical releases exclusively stream on HBO Max before any other platform.
Considering the theater-to-streaming trends of other recent A24 releases — like Sorry, Baby, Materialists, and Bring Her Back — we