Director Christopher Nolan has spoken. And according to him, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson just delivered the performance of the year. The man who once smirked his way through skyscraper leaps and jungle adventures is now being hailed as a dramatic powerhouse. According to Nolan, Johnson’s turn as MMA fighter and UFC pioneer Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine is nothing short of “heartbreaking.” Yes, 2025 has turned into a wild year.
Speaking to director Benny Safdie on The Director’s Cut podcast, Nolan said, “I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years.” He even doubled down, calling it the best performance he’s seen “ever.” Bold words from the man who made Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight and Interstellar.
Now, if you’ve seen Johnson in full fighting form at the Venice Film Festival, you might understand why Nolan’s raving. After The Smashing Machine premiered, the former WWE star was hit with a 15-minute standing ovation. Johnson, director Benny Safdie, and co-star Emily Blunt all broke down in tears as the audience kept clapping. Variety called it one of the longest ovations of the year. Clearly, Venice was moved.
Johnson’s performance as Kerr, a man addicted to both winning and opioids, is something we haven’t seen from him before. Gone is the charm and the polished swagger. In its place: awkwardness, raw emotion, and visible vulnerability. Watching him wrestle (literally and figuratively) with addiction and identity feels like seeing him learn to act in real time.
The film itself hasn’t exactly set critics ablaze post-Venice, but it doesn’t hurt having Nolan’s stamp of approval. Especially since The Smashing Machine comes from A24, a studio that knows how to turn awards chatter into Oscar nominations. Pair that with Nolan’s influence, and the fact that he’s got history with Safdie, and you’ve got a campaign already writing itself.
It’s easy to forget how unusual this is for Johnson. He’s 53 now, one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, yet he’s rarely been given the space to act instead of entertain. On the Venice red carpet, he looked different. A bit leaner, and almost unrecognizable. Fans online joked that “The Rock” had turned into “The Pebble.” But, he seemed more relaxed than ever, laughing with fans and posing for selfies before facing one of his most emotionally demanding roles.
At the press conference, Johnson spoke openly about breaking out of his Hollywood mold. “I just had this burning desire and voice that was saying, ‘What if there is more and what if I can?’” he said, crediting Safdie and Blunt for pushing him toward something riskier. “Hollywood can be very loud,” he added, reflecting on how chasing box office numbers had kept him from exploring quieter, deeper roles.
So maybe Nolan’s praise isn’t just more hype. Maybe this is Johnson finally showing us a version of himself we didn’t know existed. And yeah, this is not the last we’ll hear about the Oscar talk either.
