The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Let me just preface this review by saying I know absolutely nothing about wrestling. It wasn’t something I grew up watching so I don’t exactly have a preconceived attachment to its history or a comprehensive knowledge of its many cultural icons, so I went into this movie with no real expectations either way. That being said, Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw is a deeply raw and emotionally powerful film about brotherhood, obsession, and how we deal with tragedy, showcasing a career best performance by Zac Efron. You have simply never seen Zac Efron like this before. The man is totally unrecognizable as Kevin Von Erich and put in some serious mental and physical work to bulk up for this role. However, it’s not so much his physique that’s unbelievably impressive, which it is, but rather the sheer dramatic and emotional gravitas that Efron so effortlessly brings to the table. The chemistry and camaraderie between the four brothers Kevin, Kerry, Mike, and David is so real, so genuine that it feels like true brotherhood. Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons as Kerry, David, and Mike Von Erich respectively are all excellent as is Holt McCallany as their hard as nails father, Fritz.
I’m well aware by now that Fritz is the topic of much debate on the internet, but what I will say is McCallany is so good as this father who pushes his sons to be the best of the best at wrestling, even it means pushing them to the breaking point both mentally and physically. You really get to see how Fritz raised his sons to be ultra competitive, to the point where there’s a funny yet eye opening scene in the beginning where they’re all having breakfast and Fritz lays out an order of his favorite sons and how it can change depending on the day. Yeah, it’s very questionable parenting tactics but the four sons seemed to go along with it, even to their own detriment. Lily James is phenomenal as Kevin’s wife Pam, as she anchors Kevin and the movie as a whole with her compassion, empathy, and humanity. As the movie progresses and the Von Erich brothers become more successful in their quest for the heavyweight championship wrestling title, making lots of money and getting national attention, we see the pitfalls that ultimately cursed their family.
I want everyone who sees this movie to experience it how I did, knowing nothing, so I will refrain from going into any specific details. To put it vaguely, there are several tragedies that strike the Von Erich family throughout the film in which the brothers continue to pursue their wrestling careers despite how devastating these tragic incidents may be. Fritz’s wrestling career never took off so he kind of uses the success of his sons in a way as a means of furthering his own plight. Sean Durkin’s direction combined with Efron’s committed performance effectively convey how Kevin deals with these heartbreaking losses, particularly by using excessive force in the ring as an outlet for expressing his grief and anguish. Through these tragedies, what really compelled me was seeing how Kevin flip flopped in between being a father/husband all while maintaining his self destructive obsession with trying to be the best and toughest wrestler there is. The movie takes place in the mid to late 80’s, and has some great tunes from that era and even a few from the late 70’s. There are a couple of brief appearances from actors playing known wrestling icons such as Ric Flair and Harley Race, and although their over the top performances may be part of the theatricality of wrestling, their small roles have much significance for Kevin’s character arc.
As for the film’s ending, I say without hyperbole that for me personally, the last five minutes of The Iron Claw contains the most emotionally heart-wrenching conclusion to any movie that has come out in the past few years. Maybe there are some other recent films I’ve shed a tear watching, but none come close to just how much I was sobbing during the final scene of this movie. As someone who has a brother, I was deeply moved and I believe viewers who also have brothers will feel the same way. There isn’t really any noteworthy flaws in the film, say for a couple of moments in the second act in which I would’ve liked to see more of the Von Erich brothers’ rise to fame before the downward spiral phase began.
All in all, as someone who doesn’t have any real attachment to the world of wrestling, I found myself astonished by how heavily this film impacted me. You really don’t have to know anything about wrestling to appreciate the film’s themes of brotherhood, family, how we handle tragedy, and how one’s greatness is measured by their response to adversity. Overall, Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw is a deeply moving true story of brotherhood, destructive obsession, and the rise and fall of the Von Erichs. Showcasing a career best performance from an almost unrecognizable Zac Efron and delivering on an emotionally impactful ending, this is one film that can be appreciated by hardcore wrestling fans and general audiences alike.
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