Benny Safdie is one of the most prolific and daring directors working in the United States today. He is especially known for the films he co-directed with his brother, where Safdie both directed and acted alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems, 2019) and Robert Pattinson (Good Time, 2017). Safdie is now working independently and is taking the world by storm with his latest film The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson in the lead role. The film will be screened at RIFF with a special live-streamed introduction from Benny Safdie himself.
For film lovers and especially fans of the production company A24 — which produced the brothers’ films — the news that Josh and Benny Safdie would each continue their filmmaking journeys separately came as a blow. But Benny explained in an interview with Variety in 2024 that the split was for the best and was done amicably. According to him, there is still great love between the brothers, who now have more freedom to pursue their own projects and passions.
In the past two years, Safdie’s career has been on a meteoric rise. Notably, the series The Curse (2023), which he created together with Oscar-winner Emma Stone and comedian Nathan Fielder. That same year he had a major role in Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer and starred opposite Rachel McAdams in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. He also appears in Adam Sandler’s upcoming Netflix film Happy Gilmore 2.
Safdie has certainly become well acquainted with the ways of Hollywood, but he is still known for his inventive approach to filmmaking. For instance, he often holds the boom microphone himself during shoots — while simultaneously directing and sometimes acting. It will be fascinating to hear what tricks Safdie employed in making his newest film The Smashing Machine, which will be screened at RIFF 2025.
The Smashing Machine tells the story of wrestler Mark Kerr, an American MMA legend who masked his complicated emotions with raw aggression inside the ring. The film marks Benny Safdie’s first solo feature as a director and stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Kerr, with Emily Blunt playing his wife.
Right before the screening at Háskólabíó, Benny Safdie will appear live on the big screen — just like director Bong Joon Ho did last year — to personally introduce the film to RIFF audiences. Don’t miss this special screening of a remarkable film!