The Smashing Machine15

Directed by Benny Safdie | USA | 2025 | 2h 3m | Starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Jill Basey

In the early 2000s, mixed martial artist Mark Kerr rises to prominence as the sport’s popularity begins to explode. But behind the fame and fierce competition, the relentless travel and physical toll push Kerr to his limits. Starring Dwayne Johnson in a powerful, transformative role alongside Oscar nominee Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine marks the solo directorial debut of Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time) and won the Silver Lion Award for Best Director at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

‘As a newly solo director, Safdie summons a thoughtful and moving mood for this unconventional sports film; as a newly serious dramatic actor, Johnson is about to win some awards.’
★★★★
John Nugent, Empire Magazine

‘Beyond the regular crunch of fist on bone, The Smashing Machine is an unexpectedly gentle, soulful character study that has Johnson undercutting his crowd-pleasing ‘The Rock’ persona with vulnerability and boyish uncertainty.’
★★★★
Philip De Semlyen, Time Out

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Smashing Machine between October 24, 2025 and November 6, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 13th July)

18:00

What We Do in the Shadows 15
1h 25m
Cult mockumentary follows the undead navigating modern life with gloriously incompetent results. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement at their most gloriously funny. Part of the Oxford Comedy Festival 2026.

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20:15

Blue Heron 15
1h 31m
Eight-year-old Sasha's family move to Vancouver Island seeking a fresh start, but her eldest brother increasingly dangerous behaviour casts a long shadow. Sophy Romvari's lyrical feature debut is a deeply felt study of family bonds and the elusive nature of memory.

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Tomorrow (Tuesday 14th July)

17:45

Effi o Blaenau 15
£6 for Members
1h 31m | Welsh w/ English subtitles
In a Welsh town stripped of its pubs and jobs, hard-partying Effi keeps her head just above water. But a chance encounter in a Llandudno nightclub offers a glimpse of another life. Leisa Gwenllian is searing in this spikily funny adaptation of Gary Owen's celebrated one-woman play.

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20:00

Disclosure Day 12A
£6 for Members
2h 25m
When a Kansas City meteorologist intercepts an inexplicable alien signal during a live broadcast, she begins to unravel a decades-long government cover-up. Steven Spielberg returns to sci-fi with a summer blockbuster of genuine scale and philosophical weight, led by Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!