September 30, 2025

BENNY SAFDIE (Uncut Gems): Directing Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in THE SMASHING MACHINE plus filmmaking tips.

50 minutes

Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, The Curse) joins this weeks The Filmmakers

Podcast to discuss the challenging process of directing his solo feature

debut, the gritty sports biopic The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne

Johnson as MMA legend Mark Kerr. Fellow filmmakers Giles Alderson and

Dom Lenoir sit with Benny and dive into the Safdie style, his approach

to directing actors and making raw, kinetic cinema.

As one half of the acclaimed Safdie Brothers duo, Benny co-directed,

co-wrote, and edited films that make your heart pound out of your chest.

We’re talking about the incredible, neon-drenched chase thriller "Good

Time," and the anxiety-inducing, chaotic masterpiece "Uncut Gems,"

starring Adam Sandler. These films established a gritty, naturalistic

style, full of propulsive energy, often focusing on outsiders

desperately struggling in the urban landscape of New York.

But he’s not just a master behind the camera! As an actor, he has

completely transformed and disappeared into roles, giving incredible

performances like the troubled Nick Nikas in "Good Time," the

compassionate Joel Wachs in Paul Thomas Anderson’s "Licorice Pizza," and

the brilliant physicist Edward Teller in Christopher Nolan’s

blockbuster, "Oppenheimer." He’s even popped up in TV like "Obi-Wan

Kenobi" and co-created, wrote, directed, and starred in the critically

praised Showtime series, "The Curse."

And now, he’s stepped out as a solo director, writer, and editor with

the highly anticipated film, "The Smashing Machine." This intense

biographical sports drama, which premiered to acclaim at the Venice Film

Festival, stars a completely transformed Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as

pioneering MMA fighter Mark Kerr, alongside the brilliant Emily Blunt

and other great actors. It's a grittier, unflinching look at a champion

struggling with addiction and the pressures of the sport.

He's a true filmmaking polymath who brings a raw, authentic urgency to

everything he touches. It's the brilliant Benny Safdie!

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PODCAST MERCH

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COURSES

Want to learn how to finish your film?

Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE https://cuttingroom.info/post-production-demystified/

PATREON

Big thank you to:

Serena Gardner

Mark Hammett

Lee Hutchings

Marli J Monroe

Karen Newman

Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on filmmaking? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides, and feedback on your film projects!

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Check out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com

CREDITS

The Filmmakers Podcast is written and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson

Edited by @tobiasvees

Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative

Theme Music by John J. Harvey

For more interviews on filmmaking like this go to

www.thefilmmakerspodcast.com

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#thesmashingmachine , #UncutGems, #GoodTime, #TheCurse, #Oppenheimer, #Licorice Pizza. #DwayneJohnson, #MarkKerr, #MMAmovie, sports biopic, acting vs directing, The Smashing Machine #behindthescenes

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