Kurt Angle has seen Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machineled by a outstanding efficiency from Dwayne Johnson as UFC champ Mark Kerr, telling followers he believes the A24-backed movie “deserves an Oscar.”
In an X replace shared Tuesday, Oct. 7, the WWE Hall of Fame inductee argued that Safdie’s movie “will be considered a classic” within the coming years. While The Smashing Machine has acquired sturdy evaluations from critics, and is on this author’s opinion a must-see in theaters, it opened beneath expectations on the field workplace this month.
“Just watched The Smashing Machine. What a fantastic film that I believe will be considered a classic,” Angle wrote. “Mark Kerr was ‘The Guy’ I had to beat to qualify for the Olympic Games, which pushed me to transform into a version of myself I never thought I could be. Your story, beyond wrestling, is truly inspirational, my friend.”
Angle additionally mentioned he now believes Johnson is “one of the greatest performers today” after taking up the function, which stands aside from prior entries within the Seven Bucks Productions co-founder’s filmography.
“For Dwayne Johnson to take on such a role and elevate it to another level in his career makes me consider him one of the greatest performers today,” Angle added. “Watching Dwayne transform into Mark Kerr through this film was like deja vu…..no words, just applause. This movie deserves an Oscar, and I believe it will receive the recognition it merits. Well done, my brothers.”
Earlier this month, Angle spoke with Sports Illustrated about his personal experiences with Johnson, a.okay.a. The Rock, each within the ring and behind the scenes. Angle mentioned he “loved working with” Johnson whereas underscoring his “unbelievable” tempo within the ring and the generosity he confirmed as a performer.
“The cool thing about him is he was really giving,” Angle mentioned.
The Smashing Machineadditionally starring Emily Blunt, is in theaters now. Go see it.
To commemorate the movie’s launch, Johnson and Blunt appeared on an episode of Complex’s GOAT Talk. Catch the complete episode beneath.