Summary

• The Iron Claw received incredible reviews and box office success, solidifying its status as a modern classic wrestling movie.
• The Wrestler pays homage to the industry by highlighting the harsh realities and addictive nature of professional wrestling.
• Both The Iron Claw and The Wrestler have strong individual accolades, making it difficult to determine which is truly the better wrestling movie.

The Iron Claw became a monumental hit after its debut, receiving incredible reviews and a strong box office, and it is also the perfect reminder to watch a classic wrestling movie. Despite its scattered release, The Iron Claw made nearly three times its budget, and more importantly, became a modern classic thanks to its stellar response. The high praise even suggested Zac Efron may have been in contention for the 2024 Oscar. Although he wasn't nominated, his performance alongside The Iron Claw's talented cast cemented its status as one of the best wrestling films ever made.

Given its positive critical reception, The Iron Claw puts pressure on the rumored Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan biopics, proving just how well it performed. With The Iron Claw making wrestling movies fashionable once again, it provides the perfect reason to watch a 16-year-old hit. Despite The Iron Claw's Rotten Tomatoes reviews being hard to beat, one other industry-focused film managed to exceed this, earning an impressive 98% score. With it containing many similar strengths to The Iron Claw while providing a different story, this classic has become a must-watch for those interested in high-quality wrestling movies.

Why You Should Watch The Wrestler After The Iron Claw

The Wrestler Appreciates The Industry Just As Much As The Iron Claw

While it can be difficult to find great wrestling movies, The Wrestler is the most similar to The Iron Claw in terms of quality and emotion. They both go beyond simply providing entertainment, by paying respect to the industry while also showing the harsh realities of professional wrestling. Just like The Iron Claw, The Wrestler doesn't try to trivialize wrestling and instead displays both its hardships and euphoric moments. The movie shows how much of a toll the sport can take on athletes while simultaneously presenting the seemingly addictive nature of getting in the ring.

The love and admiration from the crowd have often pushed real wrestlers out of retirement to chase that rush, and The Wrestler does a fantastic job of portraying this. It also highlights how this life can affect relationships outside the industry and how difficult maintaining them can be. While the in-ring action and dramatic nature of the movie help it flourish, its appreciation of professional wrestling and acknowledgment of its hardships are what make The Wrestler truly memorable. Despite The Wrestler's controversial ending, it matches some of The Iron Claw's biggest qualities and paved the way for future wrestling movies.

The Iron Claw vs. The Wrestler: Which Movie Is Better?

Both Movies Have A Case For Being The Best Wrestling Movies Ever Made

The Iron Claw and The Wrestler both have cases for being the best wrestling movie ever, and they both have strong, individual accolades. Critically, The Wrestler edges The Iron Claw with a higher IMDb rating as well as a better Tomatometer score. On the flip side, The Iron Claw has slightly more love from viewers by boasting a higher audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, proving reviews alone fail to really split the movies. When it comes to the Oscars though, The Wrestler does claim the wrestling movie crown, with Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei both picking up nominations.

Although The Wrestler never won an Oscar, its two nominations beat The Iron Claw, which failed to receive any. This was arguably down to tougher competition, but regardless of accolades, both movies had incredibly impressive acting. The Iron Claw's in-ring action was stronger and the story hits harder emotionally, but ultimately, which movie is better comes down to personal preference. The Wrestler is the more critically favorable movie with a great dramatic story, but The Iron Claw is rawer and caters more towards a general audience, proving it is almost impossible to pick one over the other.

The Wrestler and The Iron Claw are both available on digital.