Safdie brothers’ separate 2025 films reveal contrasting strengths

Collider reports that the Safdie brothers split as co-directors in 2025, with Benny Safdie directing The Smashing Machine and Josh Safdie directing Marty Supreme, a separation that exposed divergent creative strengths.

Benny’s The Smashing Machine, a quiet, documentary-like adaptation of the 2002 film, stars a transformed Dwayne Johnson as real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr and Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples. The piece describes Benny’s approach as intimate and sensitive—capturing domestic and locker-room moments—but says the film met tepid festival reviews, flopped at the box office, and was criticized for meandering pace, muted energy and familiar sports-biopic beats even as Johnson’s dramatic turn drew approval.

By contrast, Marty Supreme earned critical acclaim and solid box office returns, with Timothée Chalamet’s performance and Josh’s propulsive, Good Time/Uncut Gems‑style energy singled out. The review notes the film’s period setting, pop score and generational themes, while also saying it lacks Benny’s subtlety and can feel sentimental or retread. The brothers’ split was reportedly amicable—Benny told Rolling Stone there is "no friction"—but uncertainty remains around a previously announced Sandler collaboration and the pair’s public dynamics, underscoring the piece’s conclusion that the siblings still benefit from working together.

Key Topics

Culture, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Timothée Chalamet, Dwayne Johnson, Marty Supreme