Opening in theaters October 3 is ‘The Smashing Machine,’ directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Oleksandr Usyk, and Satoshi Ishii.Related Article: Dwayne Johnson and Director Benny Safdie Teaming Up for ‘Lizard Music’Initial ThoughtsNot nearly as pleasurably anxiety-inducing as his previous films with brother Josh, Benny Safdie’s solo directing debut finds the filmmaker enabling star Dwayne Johnson’s push into the realm of ‘serious actor’ – and on that level, ‘The Smashing Machine’ is a success.