‘The Smashing Machine’ is now streaming: How to watch it at home

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is ready for a change of pace. Known for his larger-than-life personality and smoking-hot action-comedy performances, The smashing machine sees him take on a heavier, more dramatic role as MMA fighter Mark Kerr.

It had its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival and then played at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where Mashable’s film editor Kristy Puchko reviewed the film. It received mostly positive reviews, with tons of praise for Johnson’s performance. The film also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr’s partner Dawn, Ryan Bader as UFC champion Mark Coleman and Oleksandr Usyk as MMA fighter Igor Vovchanchyn.

If you missed it in the cinema, you can now watch it The smashing machine at home. Here’s what you need to know to tune in, including where it’s playing and when.

What is The smashing machine about?

Written and directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut gemstones), The smashing machine tells the true story of MMA fighter Mark Kerr (Johnson) in the early days of the UFC in the 90s. The film takes place over several years and takes audiences to Japan for the Pride FC competition and to the United States for training. He delves into his personal struggles and his tumultuous romantic relationship with Dawn Staples (Blunt) as he strives to be the best in the ring.

Get a glimpse of Johnson’s transformation in the official trailer:

East The smashing machine Is it worth watching?

The smashing machine may not have been a box office knockout, but Johnson’s transformation into Mark Kerr and his performance alone are worth watching. The film won the Silver Lion at the Venice International Film Festival and racked up a 70 percent critical rating and 75 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mashable’s own reviewer writes: “In the end, Johnson gives a career-defining performance that should prove he can handle meatier, even more artistic, fare. Blunt gives his all in a thankless role, and Safdie, in his feature directorial debut without his brother/Uncut gemstones co-driver Josh Safdie, takes great momentum. It’s a shame he didn’t have a closer eye on what hit and what left his audience wanting more. »

Check out Mashable’s full review at The Smashing Machine.

How to watch The smashing machine at home

Credit: A24

A24 has officially announced a broadcast date for The smashing machine. You can tune in at home by purchasing or renting via digital video on demand starting November 4, 2025 or streaming starting January 23, 2026. We’ve broken down the details below.

Buy or rent digitally

As of November 4, The smashing machine is available for purchase or rental on digital video-on-demand platforms. You can purchase the movie for your digital library or rent it for 30 days. If you choose to rent, just know that even though you have 30 days to watch, you will only have 48 hours to finish watching once you start.

You can purchase and rent the film from the following retailers:

Stream it on HBO Max

A24 has a multi-year output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, so A24’s new theatrical releases stream exclusively on HBO Max before anywhere else.

Based on the theatrical-to-streaming trajectory of other recently released A24 films, like Sorry, baby, MaterialistsAnd Bring her back — we estimated that The smashing machineWe would be coming to HBO Max in February or March 2026. We’re happy to report that A24 is blessing us a little early (probably due to awards season). You can flow The smashing machine on HBO Max starting January 23, 2026.

HBO Max subscriptions start at $10.99 per month (thanks to a recent price hike), but there are ways to save money on your plan. Check out the best HBO Max streaming deals below.

The best HBO Max streaming deals

Best for Most People: Save 16% on HBO Max Basic Annual Subscription

The HBO Max Basic plan with ads usually costs $10.99 per month, but if you pay for a full year up front, that price drops to just $9.17. With the annual plan, you’ll pay $109.99, saving you about 16% compared to paying monthly.

Best Ad-Free Max Deal: Save up to 16% on HBO Max Standard Annual Subscription

If you prefer to go ad-free, HBO Max Standard or Premium annual plans will also save you around 16% compared to monthly plans. The Standard tier costs $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year (approximately $15.42 per month), while the Premium tier costs $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year (approximately $19.17 per month). Both tiers offer ad-free viewing, but the Premium tier also offers 4K Ultra HD video quality, immersive Dolby Atmos audio, and the ability to download more content offline.

Get HBO Max for Free: Upgrade to Cricket’s Supreme Unlimited Plan

The only current way to get HBO Max for free is to upgrade your phone plan to Cricket’s $60 per month Supreme Unlimited plan. It includes HBO Max Basic with free ads – worth $10.99 per month. When you open the HBO Max app or website, you simply select Cricket as your provider and use your credentials to log in.

Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads

Students can watch The smashing machine when it’s streaming by signing up for a full year of HBO Max with half-price ads. Simply verify your student status through UNiDAYS and collect the unique discount code to drop the price from $10.99 to $5.49 per month.

Best Bundle Deal: Get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu Up to 41% Off

To get the most bang for your buck, check out the Disney+ bundle which includes Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max for just $19.99 per month with ads. This line of streamers would typically cost you $34.97 per month if you paid separately for each, so you’ll keep an extra $15 in your pocket each month. If you prefer an ad-free experience, the plan will cost you $32.99 per month instead of $56.47. This represents up to 41% savings for access to all three streaming libraries.

UPDATE: December 23, 2025, 11:16 a.m. This article has been updated to include official details for the streaming release of “The Smashing Machine” on HBO Max.