The Oscars snubbed my favorite drama of 2025 – don’t make the same mistake

when Oscar nominations came out this week, one of the most notable names left off the Best Actor list was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Although critics have given the film high marks, The Smashing Machine it was crushed at the box office, grossing only $21 million worldwide, and received only one Oscar nomination (for best makeup and hair).

The Smashing Machine just debuted HBO Maxand with Heavy snow expected for most of the US this weekendnow is a good time to find out why my favorite drama of 2025 deserves more love.

It features the best performance of Dwayne Johnson’s career

Watching the film, it’s easy to see why Johnson and his supporters felt he had a real shot at an Oscar nomination. This is by far the best role Johnson has ever had in a movie, and he threw himself into it. Johnson lost a lot of weight and slimmed down to play the pioneering MMA fighter Mark Kerrbut the most impressive thing about his performance is how real it feels. Johnson doesn’t come off like he’s just playing another role. He really looks like a normal guy who is just an MMA fighter.

One of the reasons Johnson was so well-suited for this is that he’s one of the few A-list actors who could convincingly portray Kerr’s physique. The Rock has always had a charismatic persona that has carried over from the wrestling ring into his movies. The key difference here is that he doesn’t play Kerr as an extension of himself. He seems genuinely dedicated to portraying Kerr as the fighter himself.

Emily Blunt delivers an Oscar-worthy performance

Like Johnson, Emily Blunt he was also left out of the Oscar nominations for his role in this film. But she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes, and she deserved the honor. Blunt has much more acting experience than Johnson, which is one of the reasons why her performance as Kerr’s girlfriend, Dawn Staplesit’s so impressive She almost completely disappears into the person of Staples.

According to the film, Kerr and Staples had a very volatile relationship, and this plays out on screen with some fascinating scenes between Johnson and Blunt. To his credit, Johnson held his own against Blunt. But Blunt is at her best when Staples has her manipulations and emotional breakdowns. She should have been a serious Oscar contender this year.

The fight sequences are intense

It seems that it is much more difficult to convey the reality of MMA fights in movies than it is in boxing matches. That’s because MMA matches sometimes end very quickly after some quick, blinding strikes. The Smashing Machine‘s matches don’t go as fast, but the film doesn’t shy away from showing Kerr taking a beating.

This is not the kind of sports biopic where the main character ends up triumphing over all adversity. This makes the movie more enjoyable and its MMA scenes feel more authentic and intense. The Smashing Machine he deserves to find an audience in the streaming verse, and now he’ll get that chance.

The Smashing Machine it’s streaming now HBO Max.