Celebrated filmmaker and actor Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Oppenheimer) did something outside his comfort zone when he made his latest film, “The Smashing Machine” — he directed it without his brother, Josh. Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt, the film tells the true story of former wrestler and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr. During this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Benny sat down with Tom Power to talk about his first foray into directing on his own two feet, what it was like working with The Rock, and why mixed martial arts is more than just pure aggression.
