"Mark Kerr is a man not unlike obsessive gambler Howard (Adam Sandler) in Uncut Gems, or Robert Pattinson's Connie in Good Time, a wanted criminal reluctant to reform. All of these men are adrenaline junkies always searching for their next high, whether that comes in a payout or a prescription bottle, but as many of those who are addicted to life's extreme highs, they fall ever so hard."
"It is in these fraught domestic scenes where Dwayne Johnson's performance lets the side down. In appearance, the ex-wrestler turned actor is perfectly cast for this role, however he lacks physicality as soon as he exits the ring. While Emily Blunt cries, screams, shouts and whimpers, she is stonewalled by her sparring partner, her performance caught somewhere between Johnson and a hard place."
"Kerr, the wrestling legend that never was, who missed the first UFC finals broadcast on American television by a few blows to the head, may have lost the chance for a championship and international fame, but he is far from a loser. If anything, as the sweaty sports drama shows, he learns more from his fights with addiction that coincide with rounds of shouting matches with his girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt) than he does in the ring."
Mark Kerr is portrayed as an addictive, adrenaline-seeking fighter whose first loss defines his career. Benny Safdie frames Kerr alongside other self-destructive protagonists who chase extreme highs. The film shifts emphasis from sporting achievement to Kerr's volatile, co-dependent relationship with Dawn Staples and the cyclical damage of addiction. Dwayne Johnson provides convincing physical presence in the ring but shows limited emotional range outside it. Emily Blunt delivers intense, expressive work during fraught domestic confrontations. The film favors personal turmoil and relationship dynamics over a conventional sports biopic trajectory.
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