Summary

• The Iron Claw is a powerful and moving biopic that delves into the tragic losses faced by the Von Erich family, with exceptional performances from Zac Efron and Holt McCallany.
• The film's focus on the family and the dynamics between the Von Erich brothers and their father creates a compelling and emotionally heavy narrative.
• Despite dealing with grief and hardships, The Iron Claw maintains a sense of sensitivity and nuance, creating a haunting and beautiful meditation on the Von Erich family's story.

I’ll admit I knew very little about the Von Erich family before The Iron Claw — wrestling isn’t particularly my forte. The film was so good and so moving, though, that it was easy to be pulled into their world. Written and directed by Sean Durkin, The Iron Claw boasts Zac Efron’s best performance to date, and he excels at bringing a deep sense of loss, pain, and heartbreak to his role. The biopic itself, made with the blessing of Kevin Von Erich, was made with a lot of respect and heart.

Its focus on the family and, in particular, the dynamic between the Von Erich brothers and their father, Fritz, is compelling. There is so much that goes unsaid in words, but comes across loud and clear in body language, and the tension that builds between the characters over time. It isn’t an easy watch, and there’s no way to prepare for the emotional blows the film delivers, but it’s quietly dynamic and powerful in a myriad of ways. It’s a harrowing, visceral, poignant biopic that will surely make you shed a tear or two regardless of whether you knew the Von Erich story.

The Iron Claw is a masterclass in giving nuance, depth, and dynamism to a family dealt its fair share of tragedy.

What The Iron Claw Is About

The Iron Claw is based on the true story of the Von Erich siblings, their rise to wrestling fame in 1980s Texas, and the popularization of the iron claw wrestling hold. The biopic follows the four brothers — Kevin (Zac Efron), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson), and Mike (Stanley Simons) — with a focus on the relationship with their father, Fritz (Holt McCallany), who pushed them towards becoming professional wrestlers, and who took the sport very seriously. While the Von Erich family is heavily featured, The Iron Claw is largely told from Kevin’s perspective, as he works hard to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, and his father’s approval while attempting to fight the family curse.

The Iron Claw Is An Emotionally Heavy Biopic

Durkin’s film includes the deaths of three Von Erich brothers, and each one is utterly heartbreaking. While the drama doesn’t spend too much time on individual tragedies, they permeate the film, affecting Kevin’s life with wife Pam (Lily James), the often tense relationship with Fritz, and the way we interact with the film’s themes and family dynamics. Beyond the deaths, the film’s emotional heaviness stems from the complex relationship between Fritz and his sons. There’s a lot of vulnerability laced into the film, and an emotional rawness that twists our hearts while providing gut-wrenching moments of devastation. The Iron Claw is not the feel-good biopic that so many tend to be these days — it actually deals with the hardships, grief, and difficulties facing its characters.

The sensitivity with which it treats the central family and all they went through grounds the film.

Real-life situations aren’t always so neat and tidy, and The Iron Claw is a masterclass in giving nuance, depth, and dynamism to a family dealt its fair share of tragedy. Durkin’s script is sensitive and touching; it’s simultaneously harsh and exacting. Wrestling plays a big role in the film, but above all else, it’s about the love and bond between brothers, who are the heart and soul of each other’s lives. The losses that follow after establishing such a strong bond give the movie its emotional heft, pulling the rug out from beneath our feet even as we hold our breath in anticipation of it. And while The Iron Claw is genuinely sad, it isn’t emotionally manipulative.

Zac Efron & Holt McCallany Are The Iron Claw’s Standouts

The film has an outstanding cast, and everyone pulls their weight. Jeremy Allen White is fantastic as Kerry, and he really elevates the sense of duty he has to his family and the pressure that it brings. Harris Dickinson as David is lovely and understated, while Stanley Simons’ Mike is sensitive and sweet. But while the entire cast, including Lily James as the charming Pam, is excellent, The Iron Claw belongs to Zac Efron and Holt McCallany. Best known for his role in Mindhunter, McCallany is fierce and formidable as Fritz. The actor plays the Von Erich patriarch as harsh, stoic, and increasingly hard on his sons. He wants not necessarily what’s best for them, but what he believes is best for the family. There’s something almost menacing about McCallany’s portrayal, and he balances arrogance and unbridled anger.

Efron, on the other hand, showcases Kevin’s vulnerability at every turn. He’s protective and gentle with his brothers, but frustrated and deferent to his father. Efron holds himself differently in his interactions with Fritz, almost as though he’s scared to rock the boat. There’s a lot of inner turmoil Kevin feels that the actor is able to convey non-verbally. It’s a strong, captivating performance that I felt myself drawn to at every turn, as Efron proves he can tap into a myriad of emotions at once without allowing one to overtake the other. His is an emotionally devastating performance that allows us to linger in the overwhelming sadness.

The Iron Claw Is A Must-Watch Wrestling Movie

Durkin’s film isn’t one I anticipated liking so much, but it gripped me from the very first scene and kept me riveted until the very end. You don't even have to know much about wrestling to be taken by this film. The sensitivity with which it treats the central family and all they went through, along with the exceptional, layered performances, grounds the film. Despite the consistent grief and the substance abuse that fills the final third of the film, The Iron Claw has a lot of heart thanks to the brothers’ relationship. Could it have delved further into the character relationships? Absolutely. But whatever the film lacks, it more than makes up for with its beautiful, haunting meditation on the Von Erich family, the tragic losses they faced, and the loving handling of their story.

The Iron Claw opens in theaters on Friday, December 22. The film is 130 minutes long and currently unrated.