Christopher Nolan has hailed Dwayne Johnson’s performance in The Smashing Machine as the best this year.

Although the movie has been described as a box office flop following disappointing cinema sales, Johnson’s portrayal of UFC fighter Mark Kerr has received critical acclaim. During an interview for The Director’s Cut, a podcast from The Directors Guild of America, Nolan singled out the star for his compelling turn.

Describing Johnson’s performance as “heart-breaking”, he added: “I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years.”

Nolan was joined on the podcast by The Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie.

During the appearance, Nolan jokingly asked Safdie if he had been busy developing The Smashing Machine while also starring as Edward Teller in Oppenheimer.

He also touched upon reports that Safdie had approached Oppenheimer co-star Emily Blunt about the UFC project.

Nolan quipped: “I heard a rumour that when you were supposed to be learning your lines on my set, you were actually canvassing people to be in your movie. I wasn’t aware of that at the time, but it seems to have worked out great for you.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Nolan congratulated Safdie on The Smashing Machine, describing it as “remarkable and radical”.

He also predicted that film fans would appreciate and “understand” the drama in years to come.

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