Summary

• The Iron Claw follows the tragic story of the Von Erich wrestling family, showcasing powerful performances and immersive 1980s setting.
• The biographical sports drama is critically acclaimed, achieving high ratings for both its performance and action-packed wrestling scenes.
• Zac Efron shines in his dramatic role as Kevin Von Erich, displaying vulnerability and depth in a standout performance.

Though he is widely recognized for his comedy and musical roles, Zac Efron delivered an incredible performance in one of 2023's best movies, The Iron Claw, which is now available to stream on Max. The movie chronicles the devastating history of the Von Erichs, a famous wrestling family from Texas who ascended to the top of the professional wrestling world, only to be victimized by continuous tragedy. While The Iron Claw has come under scrutiny for its true story changes, it is fairly accurate in conveying the many disasters that led to the family seeming "cursed."

Zac Efron plays Kevin Von Erich, the only one of the six Von Erich brothers who survived past the age of 33. While The Iron Claw is profoundly sad, it features powerful performances from all members of its cast, which includes Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Lily James (Yesterday) and Holt McCallany (Mindhunter). The well-written drama never garnered any Academy Award nominations, but its ensemble cast still generated a number of prestigious awards. The Iron Claw is now available to stream on Max, and appeals to wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans alike.

The Iron Claw Is Now Streaming On Max - What The Movie Is About

It follows a famous wrestling family

The Iron Claw follows the mostly-true story of the Von Erichs, a set of brothers who follow in their father's wrestling footsteps as part of his up-and-coming wrestling promotion in Texas during the 1980s. Fritz Von Erich (McCallany) instills a passion for wrestling and work ethic in his sons, and despite loving his sons, he pushes the boundaries of cruelty throughout their childhood and young adulthood. As the brothers become more popular on the local wrestling circuit, and push for nation-wide recognition, tragedy begins to strike the family.

All the brothers but Kevin Von Erich (Efron) meet their ends at a young age, two of them via suicide. The oldest brother, Jack Jr., died as a child years before the movie's story, and over the course of the movie the brothers die one-by-one. While one brother, David (Harris Dickinson), dies of enteritis, Kevin Von Erich's remaining two brothers, Kerry (White) and Mike (Stanley Simons) both commit suicide after spiraling due to career-ending injuries. It's heavily implied that Fritz pushed each of the brothers too far, which ultimately led to their deaths.

The Iron Claw Is One Of The Best Movies Of 2023

The biographical sports drama received rave reviews

The Iron Claw was certainly a success at the box office for the hit-making studio A24, but its primary success was in its critical reception. In addition to its 89% Tomatometer score, the audience market research organization CinemaScore gave the film an A-, which is the highest score ever for an A24 movie. While the story of the movie is profoundly sad, critics still raved about several different elements of the movie, which helped grip the audience as tightly as the family's finishing maneuver the movie is named for.

The Iron Claw grossed $45.2M on a budget of just $15.9M.

The Iron Claw was celebrated for its powerhouse performances of course, but it also received acclaim for its action elements as well. The exhilarating execution of the in-ring wrestling elements (a product of the cast's commitment to learning the craft) was lauded by actual professional wrestlers in addition to wrestling fans. Its immersive look at the 1980s, especially in regard to its professional wrestling industry, was celebrated across the board. When packaged together, all of these elements combine to yield one of 2023's very best dramas, and easily its best sports movie.

The Iron Claw Is Zac Efron's Best Movie Performance Yet

Efron delivers a powerful dramatic performance

Zac Efron was universally applauded for his performance in The Iron Claw in particular. While he has made his career in comedies like Neighbors, or musicals like The Greatest Showman, Efron unlocks a completely different side of himself in the A24 drama. In a vast departure from the handsome and charismatic performer that he is typically cast as, Efron shows true vulnerability as Kevin Von Erich. He comes off as apprehensive and unsure of himself throughout much of the movie, particularly in his early encounters with his future wife, Pam (James).

Efron nails the most crucial element of the entire movie: how Kevin deals with the spectre of death that follows his family. The depth of sadness, fear, and anger that Efron is able to convey as Kevin, particularly following his brother Kerry's suicide, is on par with any dramatic performance seen in 2023. While Efron may not have gotten the proper standalone recognition due to the incredible performances of the entire cast, his performance is a major reason to watch The Iron Claw now that it is streaming on Max.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, CinemaScore