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The Iron Claw – Film Review

Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Stanley Simons, Lily James

Director: Sean Durkin

Synopsis: Telling the true story of the Von Erich family as they forge their legacy in the world of wrestling in the 1980s…

Review: What comes to mind when you hear the word “wrestling”? Aside from the sight of impossibly muscular individuals wearing tight spandex, prominent wrestling figures from when the WWE was at the peak of its popularity in the late ’90s to early 2000s. Names such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or The Undertaker may come to mind. However, for those who watched wrestling in the early to mid-80s, the names on everyone’s lips may well have been those of the von Erich family, whose rise to prominence and the subsequent tragedy that befell them is captured with raw and devastating emotion by Sean Durkin.

Opening in a car park after family patriarch Jack “Fritz” Von Erich has triumphed in a wrestling match at the peak of his career. After the fight, he impresses on his young sons Kevin and David the importance of being the toughest, the strongest, and the greatest they could be. If they can do this, nothing could harm them in the face of adversity, which is particularly significant as Fritz harbours a superstition that there is a curse on the family. Flash forwards several years later and the four Von Erich brothers, Kevin (Efron), Kerrie (Allan White), David (Dickinson), and Mike (Simons) are being coached by their father and pushing them to be the best wrestlers they can be, for a shot at the world heavyweight title that eluded Fritz. Each one of them exhibits the passion, the fire inside, and the determination to be the one that brings the title home while they establish their names in the world of wrestling.

An essential goal for any sports film, irrespective of the sport, is to captivate the audience with a compelling story, even if they have no prior knowledge of the sport in question. Durkin’s screenplay is a powerful combination of how the world of wrestling works and how even though matches have pre-determined outcomes, it emphasizes the immense physical and mental strain placed on professional wrestlers to perform regularly, which is what they will need to do if they want to have a chance of being the best. Such mental and physical tolls, combined with the weight of expectation placed upon their shoulders by their father, bring the brothers together to form the most unbreakable of brotherly bonds, which will resonate with anyone who shares a similar relationship with a brother. Each of them has their own unique personality, whether it’s David’s no-nonsense pre-match fighting talk, Kerry’s athleticism, Kevin’s imposing physicality, or Mike’s more reserved demeanour. They all share warm and loving chemistry with each other, making it all the more emotionally crushing when the Von Erich curse strikes the family once more.

In an ensemble filled with brilliant and layered performances to leave the audience on the ropes with the emotional weight of the tragedy of the Von Erichs’ story, it is Zac Efron’s leading performance that delivers the knockout blow. Aside from the awe-inspiring physical transformation (he gained 15 pounds for the role), it is a role that is as far from a cry from his early career as a star of Disney musicals as physically possible. However, with his almost impossibly imposing physicality, he delivers arguably the best performance of his career and showcases his talent as a dramatic actor. He strongly loves his family and wrestling, though the love for the latter is severely tested. Durkin’s script examines the brotherhood between the Von Erichs and the stern tutelage of their father. However, such was the weight of expectation and burden placed on their shoulders, where the pressure on them to perform was insurmountable and the culture of toxic masculinity, took a severe toll on them both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave much time to explore Kevin’s relationship with Pam (James) as they begin a life together raising a family of their own, while Tierney as the Von Erich matriarch is also left on the sidelines.

The heart-breaking nature of this story means it would be easy for the audience to become too overwhelmed by an overpowering sense of devastation and melancholy. However, Durkin handles these emotional moments with care and sensitivity so that, like a signature wrestling move, they leave the audience floored for maximum impact when they hit. Durkin and his cinematographer Mátyás Erdély recreate the ’80s time period when it comes to the wrestling scenes, beautifully with immaculately choreographed scenes that look authentic and pack a tremendous punch, particularly when it comes to the iron claw itself, the von Erich family’s signature wrestling move. Wrestling is a sport with such physical demands on its performers, often taking the lives of many wrestlers well before their time. Many members of the Von Erich family may have seen their time on this Earth prematurely cut short, but their achievements in wrestling have ensured the Von Erich family has built a legacy that will live forever.