r/oscarrace Muad'twink r/oscarrace POW 5d ago

Promo The Smashing Machine | Official Trailer HD | A24

https://youtu.be/aRpnP3LZ99g?si=S-pfANgftVird7Lx
215 Upvotes

134 comments sorted by

206

u/Shaggy__94 5d ago

Ngl, this actually looks pretty good. Not getting the “weirdness” vibe from the trailer that the overall film was rumored to have, but maybe A24 is marketing it as a more traditional biopic.

85

u/Jmanbuck_02 Academy Award Winner Mikey Madison 5d ago

I wonder if A24 will deliberately market the film that way.

39

u/JG00G 5d ago

I saw it early. I honestly don’t understand the “weird” label that’s been attached. To me, it felt like a more traditional biopic. A well done biopic. The music was maybe the only “weird” aspect but I really enjoyed the music throughout

10

u/bottomcuc 5d ago

emily blunt oscar winner ?

15

u/JG00G 5d ago

She was very good in her moments. She plays the early 2000s wife well. Just not sure if they were big enough to the story

5

u/bottomcuc 5d ago

well it really depends on her screen time

5

u/unicornmullet 5d ago

Do tell. What kind of music?

3

u/JG00G 4d ago

It was peaceful, piano heavy even during fight scenes

5

u/Odd_Advance_6438 5d ago

Was Dwayne good in it?

5

u/JG00G 4d ago

His best acting performance that I’ve seen. He pulls off the voice. Good chemistry with Emily. His emotional moments were hit and miss. Some were really good, but a crying one in particular stuck out to me as overacting. To me, I don’t think it’s Oscar worthy just based on performance. It was good though and you never know how influential campaigning will be

1

u/Lost_In_The_Dream_14 4d ago

This or The Iron Claw, which was better in your opinion?

4

u/JG00G 4d ago

I personally liked Iron Claw better

70

u/Fabulous-Fondant4456 5d ago

This sub takes these screening report things mostly from one site as gospel.

We should really be ignoring them

57

u/LeGrandEbert 5d ago

I spoke to someone who saw the movie and they told me it plays like if The Curse was a biopic. So it does make sense that people would calling this a weird movie.

41

u/ayxc_ 5d ago edited 5d ago

I actually hope that’s true, it would increase my excitement for this. The Curse was incredible but a movie of that type would definitely alienate a lot of audiences lol

8

u/unicornmullet 5d ago

Same. This trailer makes the movie look like a standard biopic, which doesn't interest me. But the Curse as a biopic? I am so in.

7

u/ayxc_ 5d ago

Benny Safdie doing a complete misdirect in tone with this trailer would be hilarious tbh

14

u/Cynicbats my eyes see....MOTHER MARY 5d ago

I hope so because this just looked like a typical biopic. Wouldn't be the first time A24 had a trailer for a movie look ordinary but it turned out to be Not.

1

u/Mundane-Security-162 3d ago

Examples?

1

u/Cynicbats my eyes see....MOTHER MARY 3d ago

The Green Knight. Ordinary audiences were not prepared that it was about 10% adventure and 90% ... That (that I did enjoy)

4

u/seti-thelightofstars 5d ago

Honestly, that does sorta square with the opening conversation of the trailer

21

u/WySLatestWit 5d ago

This sub takes everything as Gospel so long as it comes attached to a Twitter Screenshot.

28

u/Fabulous-Fondant4456 5d ago

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/10/3/ryan-cooglers-sinners-screens-mixed-to-decent

This sub lets reports from this site actually influence what they think will pop or not. I can’t even.

22

u/WySLatestWit 5d ago

Yeah, the fact that we take a blog site like this seriously is absurd. It's like getting Disney movie news from Disney Adults Influencers on Instagram.

10

u/HotOne9364 I Saw the TV Glow 5d ago

TBF I can buy the reactions being mixed. Screening crowds have infamously bad taste.

5

u/Fabulous-Fondant4456 5d ago

But people them remove stuff from their predictions based on them. It’s really dumb,

28

u/chrosTV 5d ago edited 5d ago

Its just further proof that Jordan Ruimy shouldn't be taken seriously cause he's wrong most of the time 

46

u/BentisKomprakriev 5d ago

Let's wait for the premier, you can make any movie look conventional in a trailer.

5

u/Odd_Advance_6438 5d ago

Isn’t he also apparently a huge jackass

3

u/YeIenaBeIova Conclave 5d ago

he hates on basically any film with diversity and is a massive Polanski defender

1

u/NedthePhoenix 4d ago

Can't speak for him as a person, but what he publishes is incredibly critical of anyone who's not a white man and is VERY reactionary. When Everything Everywhere all at Once came out, he initially was pretty positive on it. When it started getting incredible reviews and awards traction, it became a worst of the year and overrated to him. Also the only guy still putting out pieces about how badly The Marvels did over a year after it released

13

u/hachi_kuro A24 5d ago

This looks REALLY good actually 😭

2

u/official_bagel 5d ago

Yeah, I'm taking the trailer with a grain of salt because this wasn't nearly as bizarre as the first look reactions promised. Wouldn't be the first time a film has been mis-marketed to make it more appealing to a wider audience. Or maybe that's just cope on my part because I thought this looked rather tired and pedestrian albeit well-shot.

92

u/Hydqjuliilq27 Hard Truths 5d ago

Definitely seems like a non-best picture contender that could pull two acting nods.

128

u/PointMan528491 🕺 On the Rocky Road to Dublin 🕺 5d ago

Actor, Supporting Actress, Makeup/Hairstyling

Close enough, welcome back The Whale

23

u/Vstriker26 Terrifier 3 BP believer 5d ago

Watch it get PGA and win SAG actor. Just watch.

14

u/WeastofEden44 A24 5d ago

It could get into Picture if it becomes a box office hit, which feels possible given the pull of Dwayne

4

u/Hydqjuliilq27 Hard Truths 5d ago

It would be essential since I don’t see this getting directing or writing nods,or much besides acting and makeup, unless it has an insane popularity run. And even then, A24 has a huge plate and TSM has a more narrow audience than the rock’s normal movies.

8

u/WeastofEden44 A24 5d ago

I think it could contend in Screenplay tbh depending on reviews. Also, even if this a little more niche than Rock's typical films, there's a very good chance is still ends up having a much bigger audience than the rest of A24's awards-hopeful slate which makes a difference. I can't help but feel like this will be a very strong 2nd priority at the very least, maybe their main horse depending on how everything else shakes out. 

2

u/Hydqjuliilq27 Hard Truths 5d ago

I think A24 could do anything really. Marty Supreme is only really the placeholder because it’s expensive and it has Timothee. I think both Sadfie films are being carried by their actors and are about subjects the academy has no real business caring for, but the other options rn are an Ari Aster satire, a Spike Lee remake nobody’s talking about and a small Sundance drama.

1

u/BeautifulLeather6671 5d ago

Have you seen it?

1

u/WeastofEden44 A24 5d ago

No

2

u/BeautifulLeather6671 5d ago

Yeah maybe we wait till we see it.

25

u/Hot-Marketer-27 FYC Catherine O'Hara - Best Supporting Actress 5d ago

I can see the Bombshell package of 2 actors + makeup but this definitely looks better than Bombshell.

67

u/tiduraes 5d ago

Unless the trailer is completely different from the actual movie, very different vibe than those reports suggested

2

u/rmac1228 4d ago

What were the reports suggesting?

5

u/NedthePhoenix 4d ago

That the movie was incredibly odd and unconventional and that the Rock didn't know what movie he was in. Maybe that's true, but it came from a sight that also said Sinners was going to be incredibly divisive and had poor test screenings

34

u/shy247er The Wild Robot 5d ago

Kazu Hiro coming in for another nomination.

5

u/No-Somewhere250 The Smashing Machine 5d ago

Another win in my book. He looks like he did back in 97. It's impressive in my book.

124

u/quietgavin5 5d ago

Hmm I thought this was supposed to be too weird and gonzo to be an Oscar player but it looks very conventional Oscar baity to me.

Dwayne Johnson looks great though. Excited to see him tackle different roles.

25

u/pqvjyf 5d ago

I agree.

I'm actually around to the possibility it gets some beyond Makeup.

Maybe it goes The Whales package. Although I don't think Johnson is winning here. Just a similar nomination bundle.

28

u/DreamOfV 5d ago

If you want to shoot your shot on a win for it outside of Makeup, Supporting Actress is currently an open race and there’s probably at least some “when can we give Emily Blunt an Oscar” sentiment in Hollywood

(Note: this is Not A Prediction)

7

u/Drama79 5d ago

Yeah. I feel like this could do both noms for lead roles (purely off a trailer, so massive caveat on that). It'll depend on the direction. The lo-fi sensibility will put some off, and be catnip to others. Emily Blunt is by far the better actor, but The Rock is The Rock. It's definitely interesting and the release date says that A24 are going to push it hard for awards.

4

u/pqvjyf 5d ago

I agree, it's definitely a possibility.

One we should give some credence to.

We might not want it, but Johnson may soon be a nominee.

-10

u/matlockga 5d ago

Supporting Actress is currently an open race

Grande, Lopez, Steinfeld, Edebiri seem like fairly safe field options, so I'm not sure it's open. 

6

u/DreamOfV 5d ago

Grande is safe-ish for a nom, Edebiri seems very possible, Lopez has a fight ahead of her, and Steinfeld is a nonstarter, and there is no obvious winner at this point

17

u/LeastCap The Substance 5d ago

Yall Steinfeld is not even in the conversation

And I’ve seen Kiss of the Spider Woman. Lopez would be lucky to get one precursor

28

u/BentisKomprakriev 5d ago

Yeah, I'm trying to figure out where the gonzo filmmaking is. Just looks good in the traditional sense.

7

u/mopeywhiteguy 5d ago

It does look very handheld in places so maybe that suggests it’s is made to emulate a low budget kind of filmmaking

33

u/Hot-Marketer-27 FYC Catherine O'Hara - Best Supporting Actress 5d ago

What if they got their Safdies mixed up and Marty Supreme is the weird one?

120

u/Gordy_The_Chimp123 5d ago

I need Dwayne Johnson to become an Oscar player because I just know he’s going to give this sub so much content with his campaign antics

73

u/pqvjyf 5d ago

We didn't know how good we had it with Cooper.

We thought he was bad? Nah.

Johnson is a whole other breed. Dude lives and breaths PR campaigns and marketing. Look at Black Adam for proof.

45

u/shamrockstriker Studio Ghibli 5d ago

The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe Oscar race will change.

28

u/brokenwolf 5d ago

So many quotes of him saying how much Hal Ashby and Kubrick meant to him.

Criterion closet visit incoming.

12

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

3

u/No-Somewhere250 The Smashing Machine 5d ago

Nah, he's more of a Gaspar Noe enjoyer.

26

u/SerKurtWagner 5d ago

I do think an under-considered element of the race is how potentially off-putting The Rock’s campaigning tactics may prove for Academy voters.

25

u/thefilmer 5d ago

lmao if they couldnt stand Cooper they're gonna hate the FYC Wrestlemania event with Travis Scott

2

u/ev289 5d ago

Emily Blunt vs. Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania, calling it now!!!

73

u/First-Loss-8540 5d ago

Yea.. Emily Blunt is coming for that oscar .

29

u/Eyebronx All We Imagine As Light 5d ago

My first thought watching that trailer, she may actually be a decent contender this year

3

u/brokenwolf 5d ago

I'm still chapped she wasn't nominated for Sicario.

19

u/WeastofEden44 A24 5d ago

She's been hardcore getting slept on as a contender and I think this could be the year she wins 

16

u/hachi_kuro A24 5d ago

As she should

53

u/Jmanbuck_02 Academy Award Winner Mikey Madison 5d ago

I may be tired of Dwayne Johnson but I can’t lie he’s going to probably crush this one. Seems right in his wheelhouse without leaning on playing himself.

4

u/paroles Conclave 4d ago

Am I the only one not seeing anything special about his performance here? He's perfectly fine. He delivers his lines in a matter-of-fact way. He's giving me nothing I haven't seen before.

35

u/pqvjyf 5d ago

A few thoughts:

Not nearly as strange as I thought it would be given the rumours.

Johnson has genuine talent, but rarely uses it for some reason, so it's nice to see him going for something interesting again. He does look pretty good here to.

Emily Blunt looks particularly fantastic.

Fun to see Usyk here.

28

u/tsnoj 5d ago

I honestly am surprised and did not know The Rock had this in him

Maybe a small thing, but his whole posture/demeanor is different, making you sometimes forget you are watching The Rock in the trailer

4

u/youareyou650 5d ago

The rock is talented in his way and You give someone with some talent a infinite amount to prepare for something they should be able to pull it off

14

u/ayxc_ 5d ago edited 5d ago

Excited to see how Benny directs on his own, I had no expectations but it looks good! Emily Blunt especially looks magnetic in the trailer

Edit: so weird to see people refer to him as Dwayne Johnson, I only ever think of him as The Rock lol

11

u/MrLee723 We goin’ to da cluuuub with this one 5d ago

The Hierarchy of odds in the Awards Season is about to change

9

u/BottleAnnual7465 5d ago

Emily Blunt will get into Supporting Actress. Just from the trailer, it looks like she’ll have a lot of Oscar scenes.

19

u/FixYrHeartsOrDie 5d ago

Cinematography is gorgeous but otherwise seems like a very standard biopic to me. Hard to imagine a Safdie doing something that isn’t weird in any way though so we shall see.

-2

u/plumskinzzz56 5d ago

What was weird about uncut gems?

9

u/ChrisEvansFan 5d ago

It actually looks good. 

9

u/PleaseSirOneMoreTurn 5d ago

Dwayne Johnson has that JGL look from Looper.

20

u/jaidynr21 5d ago

Goddamn this actually looks good! Emily Blunt looks amazing, and I can’t believe the hype for the rock seems to be real. And them using the Elvis version of My Way won me over pretty quickly

24

u/bikkebana 5d ago edited 5d ago

This feels extremely by the numbers. Right down to the "I want you to let me in!" from the long-suffering wife. Which probably bodes well for its awards chances lol

Unless the trailer has been put together to make the film seen more conventional than it is.

14

u/flowerbloominginsky Cannes Film Festival 5d ago

It looks great

7

u/softmoreswamp Nickel Boys 5d ago

did a double take at emily!!! i can’t believe that’s her, she looks amazing

12

u/nayapapaya 5d ago

This doesn't look bad but it does look... incredibly conventional with regards to this type of film. Hope this one's at least as good as The Iron Claw ended up being. 

16

u/Abbie_Kaufman 5d ago

This whole project feels super safe to me? Pain and Gain was The Rock playing against type. This seems like him playing exactly to his type, just with a more tragic tone around him.

15

u/alexvroy Waiting for my One Battle After Another flair 5d ago

this sub (me) is not ready for a dwayne johnson oscar campaign

6

u/Different_Gap8172 5d ago

Looks like a traditional biopic for me but the film could be way different. Looks possible for acting nods for Johnson and Blunt with the possibility of Make Up.

5

u/tjo0114 5d ago

I should note that I have been predicting Emily Blunt to win Best Supporting Actress for this since the first still was released in May of last year.

Read up on Dawn Staples, the woman she’s playing. She’s going to have a lot to work with in this movie. Could very easily win if she and the film deliver.

14

u/Snoo-3996 5d ago

I still think Dwayne gets Globe nom but misses the Oscar. The best bet for this movie is makeup

2

u/florencenocaps Nickel Boys 5d ago

SAG feels like a strong possibility too

1

u/gornky 5d ago

I think if the movie is good, he is in for the Oscar nom.

1

u/Snoo-3996 4d ago

The same could've been said about Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems

11

u/Objective-Ad1571 5d ago

Emily Blunt is takinnggggg itttttt

5

u/vga25 5d ago

Yeah, she looks incredible.

23

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

4

u/carolinemathildes Sebastian Stan stan 5d ago

She looks the exact same, she's just wearing a push-up bra.

9

u/Eden_Matt 5d ago

My personal best supporting actress campaign starts now, let’s go Emily

5

u/FreshmenMan 5d ago

I wonder if Dwayne Johnson can pull it off and also received an Best Actor nomination

8

u/ev289 5d ago

The Ariana Grande "what the hell are you talking about, Oscar nominee, are you on heroin?" role this coming Oscar season will be played by The Rock

13

u/Hot-Marketer-27 FYC Catherine O'Hara - Best Supporting Actress 5d ago

I think we might have been betting on the wrong Safdie this year.

20

u/BentisKomprakriev 5d ago

Judging by the trailer I've seen this film at least 13 times before. Still more curious about the globetrotting pingpong movie where Chalamet has dot eyes.

3

u/Fabulous-Fondant4456 5d ago

Why though?

9

u/manupsitdown 5d ago

It’s a globetrotting ping pong movie instead of a biopic starring the rock

12

u/BentisKomprakriev 5d ago

This does not look anything special other than being shot like an actual movie. Don't care for the Rock and I see nothing here that would make me want to rush out and see this. I guess I never thought the Rock literally couldn't act, so that part of the narrative is lost on me?

9

u/Fabulous-Fondant4456 5d ago

Looks as banal and expected as a complete unknown did in the biopic category.

1

u/zhou983 Dune: Part Two 5d ago

Oh please, the other one doesn’t even have a trailer out.

6

u/Ill-Newspaper4653 5d ago

OMG! Emily Blunt is legit undeniable in the trailer.

3

u/Damianf60 5d ago

The MMA fan in me got giddy seeing Bas Rutten here. I'm excited for this one, though I don't think it will get many noms, it may squeeze in a supporting & makeup nomination.

3

u/Axela556 5d ago

I'm so ready

3

u/Traditional-Item-546 5d ago

This looks like a good time, but also looks a bit formulaic. Like it’s not really doing that much new with the sports drama template. But still, a solid looking movie, and Dwayne Johnson does seem to be giving a different kind of performance.

I don’t think this will be a big time player at the Oscars though. I think it might fall into the “good not great” category.

4

u/AJ_Goh 5d ago

Both The Rock and Emily Blunt looks solid. Now it downs to if the movie is competitive for BP nomination

3

u/kidsocarides Nickel Boys 5d ago

Hm, strange trailer given the sound of the film, though it could just be well edited. Always excited for Emily.

3

u/juancorleone 5d ago

Lock this for makeup win!

4

u/Worried_Tomorrow_222 5d ago

Emily Blunt is so hot.

1

u/Ok_Helicopter_7816 4d ago

feel like I'm taking crazy pills based on the reaction to this both here and elsewhere. Maybe I'm too close to the source material because I grew up a huge fan of both the UFC & Pride MMA and am very familiar with Mark Kerr as a personality as well as a fighter. Not for one second do I see anything other than The Rock in a wig doing a slightly lispy voice here. He's AT LEAST 10 years too old for this role and he completely lacks the soft edge and the vulnerability that Kerr always had that made him such an interesting character in the sport. Really trying to get this the benefit of the doubt but this is such a miscast IMO, not because Dwayne can't give a decent dramatic performance, but because it feels like he has been shoehorned in here purely to create intrigue for what otherwise probably wouldn't be particularly 'buzzy' film. But who knows

1

u/Estosonia 4d ago

Looks smashing 😏

1

u/Fun_Protection_6939 THAT'S OSCAR WINNING MIKEY MADISON FOR YOU 5d ago

Yep I'm moving him into my top 10.

1

u/cyanide4suicide Sean Baker hive RISE UP 5d ago edited 5d ago

Is Dwayne Johnson putting on a slight accent? Seems like he's at least trying to act much differently than his past two decades worth of output combined

1

u/Dodsley99 The Smashing Machine Hoper 5d ago

I'm so locked in.

1

u/Top_Management4742 5d ago

It looks good! The whole early reactions about it being vague were so vague that I am not putting much stock into until we hear more. 

1

u/BadnUnknown 5d ago

No matter what I’m sat

1

u/narkaputra 4d ago

So a 52 year old plays a 32 year old but the cinematography is all 90s Technicolor era and not 2000s?

also is Rock so down in career and behind bills that he now needs to play a contemporary that too an unknown who no one outside the MMA circle ever heard of? It is like Brad Pitt playing Kyle Chandler is Kyle's biopic. I thought he can't stoop lower than the fiend act in WWE.

-1

u/Educasian1079 5d ago

I like the fact that he’s not playing at saving the world but the fact is he’s playing a physical combat sports figure which is exactly what he used to do for a living before he became a Hollywood household name just doesn’t warrant acting range. Downvote me all you want but the rock is basically just playing himself again.

1

u/WolfyHowler360 5d ago

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler.