Christopher Nolan Says Dwayne Johnson’s Work In ‘The Smashing Machine’ Is The Best Performance Of The Year; The Rock Reacts

A24

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has earned a powerful ally in his quest to land his first ever Academy Award nomination: iconic Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who recently said that The Rock’s performance in The Smashing Machine is the best of the year.

During a recent conversation with Benny Safdie, the actor and filmmaker who directed The Smashing Machine, the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer director showered praise on both the movie as a whole and Johnson’s performance in the lead role of Mark Kerr.

Christopher Nolan says that The Rock’s performance as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine is the best of the year

“It’s heartbreaking. I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years,” Nolan said while speaking with director Benny Safdie on The Director’s Cut podcast.

“Congratulations on the movie,” the Oscar-winning filmmaker added. “It’s a really remarkable and radical piece of work that will be understood more and more over time. I’m very proud to know you.”

While speaking to CBS Sunday Morning, The Rock revealed an additional compliment from Nolan regarding The Smashing Machine.

“We got one of the greatest compliments — watch your feet, because I’m going to drop a name,” The Rock said.

“Benny [Safdie] is close friends with Christopher Nolan, as is Emily [Blunt]. They both shot Oppenheimer with Nolan, and Benny showed Christopher one of the scenes, one of which you and I are talking about, one of those intense scenes that go down between a husband and a wife, who are codependent and there’s addiction involved. And at the end of the scene, Christopher looked at Benny and said, ‘Wow — I feel I shouldn’t be watching this.’ That was the greatest compliment we could get because Nolan is the king.”

Whether or not Johnson gets nominated for Best Actor is certainly going to be a tight call, as the likes of Timothee Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Wagner Moura, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, Jeremy Allen White, George Clooney, and Joel Edgerton are expected to be competitors at the 2026 Academy Awards.