Christopher Nolan and Dwayne Johnson in 'The Smashing Machine.' JC Olivera/Variety/Getty Images; A24 Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Christopher Nolan is weighing in on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's latest film, The Smashing Machine, which is underperforming at the box office and he is showing his support for Johnson. Nolan recently appeared on an episode of The Director's Cut podcast with Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie, who was in Oppenheimer, which won Nolan his first best director Oscar. During the discussion, Nolan praised Johnson's performance as "heartbreaking." "I think it's an incredible performance," Nolan continued. "I don't think you'll see a better performance this year or most other years." Related Stories Movies It's a Wrap: Taylor Swift's 'Showgirl' Calls Off Continued Overseas Rollout in Theaters (Exclusive) Movies Charli XCX Film 'The Moment' to Feature Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott, Alexander Skarsgård In the film, Johnson plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr, and it follows his personal struggles with addiction and his relationship with his wife, Dawn (Emily Blunt), while he's at the height of his career. The role was a dramatic turn for Johnson, and had early awards season buzz until audiences snubbed the film. Even though the movie, released on Oct. 3, won Safdie the best director prize at the Venice Film Festival, received solid reviews and currently has a 71 percent critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it has earned $10 million domestically so far. The film cost $50 million to produce. After its first weekend at the box office, Johnson took to social media to react to the outcome. "In our storytelling world, you can't control box office results - but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere," he wrote. "And I will always run to that opportunity." However, despite this, Nolan shared his predictions for the film with Safdie. "It's a really remarkable and radical piece of work that will be understood more and more over time," Nolan said. "I'm very proud to know you." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up international Daniel Day-Lewis on His Screen Return With 'Anemone' and Method Acting Not Being "a Cult" Heat Vision "No One Asked for This Reboot": 'Tron' May Mark End of Jared Leto's Franchise-Leading Days Julia Roberts Why Carrie Preston Was Thankful Julia Roberts Was "Mean" to Her While Filming 'Duplicity' Steve Coogan 'Saipan' Co-Directors on Finding the Greek Drama That Makes an Irish Sports Story, Starring Steve Coogan, Universal Heat Vision Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien Face Off After Plane Crash in Sam Raimi's 'Send Help' Trailer Palestine 'Ish' Filmmakers on Turning Real-Life Trauma Into a Lyrical Debut About Racial Injustice international Daniel Day-Lewis on His Screen Return With 'Anemone' and Method Acting Not Being "a Cult" Heat Vision "No One Asked for This Reboot": 'Tron' May Mark End of Jared Leto's Franchise-Leading Days Julia Roberts Why Carrie Preston Was Thankful Julia Roberts Was "Mean" to Her While Filming 'Duplicity' Steve Coogan 'Saipan' Co-Directors on Finding the Greek Drama That Makes an Irish Sports Story, Starring Steve Coogan, Universal Heat Vision Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien Face Off After Plane Crash in Sam Raimi's 'Send Help' Trailer Palestine 'Ish' Filmmakers on Turning Real-Life Trauma Into a Lyrical Debut About Racial Injustice