Written by: Sean Durkin
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons
Rating: [4/5]
Loss is an inevitable component of life, one that you will experience more as you allow more people into your life. One can only hope this loss is spread out enough over time to not allow it all to compound. A wish the Von Erichs did not have the luxury of experiencing in the utterly devastating The Iron Claw. A film covering a cursed family that gets at the beautiful core of brotherhood in a way that will break the heart of anyone who watches it.
Led by the patriarch, Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany), he has four living sons, with two of them currently competing in the professional World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) league. As Kevin (Zac Effron) goes through the journey of wanting to become a champion, he witnesses tragedies begin to befall the family with his father not having even the slightest worry or concern.
While not having any knowledge of the Von Erich family, many who have watched professional wrestling know about the tragedies that befell this unit. To even think that this film does not even cover everything that happened is even more heartbreaking considering what we see transpire in this film. For all of the sadness this film has in store for audiences, it nails the most important component of what makes this story so powerful, and that is the connection between these brothers.
The love emanating between these men for each other borders on radical in the way emotion gets depicted. For all of them having these hulking presences and displaying a machismo that has no room for emotions, the love felt between them is palpable. It carries the emotional beating heart of this film, as the love and admiration for each other only make the tragedies that will come to fruition later on all the more painful. These men never lost sight of caring for one another even if their parents never had any interest in doing it for them. It’s what makes that third act and especially the final scene so emotionally tragic.
Seeing how the dreams of these young men stretch in all sorts of directions makes it all the more tragic how each of them ended up in the wrestling ring. This all stems from the patriarch of the family and how he views his sons as the opportunity for the Von Erich name to reach heights he can imagine. Fritz represents those sports fathers that push their athletic children to the brink in the hopes of having them succeed, but he raises the ante to a concerning degree. The harshness and degree to which this man pushes his sons truly reach a level where you have to question the his sanity. He tries to pit his sons together to see which one of them can impress him the most and win over his favor. A tactic that cannot be good for their mental health, but it’s made evident throughout this film, and he does not care in the slightest what impact it could possibly have on them. He has a singular goal he wants to accomplish, and it’s truly saddening to see his lack of emotion as all of the tragedies begin to transpire.
Professional wrestling famously has a script, as the performers even rehearse their moves, as it’s all a big show for the audience, but The Iron Claw does a sensational job at displaying the sheer physicality still needed to perform at the highest levels of this profession. The filmmaking on display by Sean Durkin exhibits every bead of sweat and bloody altercation to such a high degree that demands respect as these men truly put their bodies on the line for the entertainment of their audience. It allows these actors to flex their muscles and complete all of the acrobatics their roles demand of them, and we are the beneficiaries of it.
Zac Effron has continually made it known that he has the talent to lead a movie, but what he manages to do as Kevin Von Erich may be the greatest thing he has and ever will do. Sure, many will always only see him as Troy Bolton from High School Musical, but it’s hard to imagine he can top what he accomplishes in this film. He carries all of the emotional weight of this story on his shoulders as Kevin witnesses and experiences things no person should in the succession it does. Effron owns the physical and emotional labor this role requires and just knocks it out of the park.
Heading into The Iron Claw, I was warned about the emotional damage that I was signing up for. Even in knowing what to expect, this film still managed to rip me to shreds. Everyone involved put in great work to tell the story of the Von Erich family. To believe there was even more that happened is terrifying, but the film managed to put in just enough to have it feel overly stuffed. Whether this film did the Von Erich family justice, I will leave for others to argue about, but the impact it had as a singular feature film is undoubtedly successful and made quite the impression on me.
