When the Oscar nominations went out this week, one of the most prominent names that was left off the Best Actor list was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Although critics have given the film high marks, The Smashing Machine was crushed at the box office, grossing only $21 million worldwide, and it received only one Oscar nomination (for Best Makeup and Hairstyling). The Smashing Machine just debuted on HBO Max, and with heavy snow scheduled to blanket most of the United States this weekend, now is a good time to discover why my favorite 2025 drama deserves more love.