The Iron Claw (15)

Dir: Sean Durkin

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

Zac Efron produces a career defining performance in this devastatingly powerful real-life wrestling drama

For almost fifty years the film industry has continued to follow the same template when it comes to producing sports dramas. The vast majority of sport-based releases over the past few decades have looked to imitate the tried and tested tropes first introduced to the mainstream in 1976 following the release of Sylvester Stallone‘s boxing flick Rocky. The film was an instant hit, becoming the highest grossing film of its year and walking away with three Oscar statuettes, including Best Picture, at the 49th Academy Awards. Stallone would become a household name overnight and Rocky would go down as a modern classic, spawning multiple sequels as well as the more recently produced spin-off franchise Creed.

Due to this success, it was only a matter of time before the imitations would start going into production and while there have been some great sport films released over the years since, none of them have been as influential on the industry as Rocky.

The latest in a longline of sport dramas, ‘The Iron Claw’ manages to set its own bar and break the trend set by Stallone all those years ago. Directed by Sean Durkin, the film follows the historic rise and tragic fall of the Von Erichs, a wrestling dynasty who were prominent in the sports entertainment industry for almost 100 years. As a lifelong wrestling fan, Durkin had a long-term aspiration to create a film based on the Von Erichs, and in 2015 began working on a script for the film. It would take a further seven years for the film to go into production, being picked up and distributed by A24, ‘The Iron Claw‘ premiered following the SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, in the Von Erichs’ home state of Texas.

Refusing to follow the typical underdog clichés and feel good methodology associated with sports dramas, Durkin chose to focus on the physical and mental strain forced upon young athletes and the parental pressures than can be implemented in a selfish bid to strive for greatness. While there are ups and downs throughout the careers of all the Von Erich children, the in-ring theatrics are mostly side-lined for the hard-hitting family dynamic that consequently led to them enduring a tragic fate.

The story is one of wrestling legend, as we see the family fall victim to the so-called “curse” of the Von Erich family. We are first introduced to the eldest and most experienced of the wrestling siblings, Kevin, portrayed by the astonishingly buff Zac Efron. Kevin has concerns that his strict ex-wrestling father “Fritz” (Holt McCallany) is pushing his youngest brother Mike (Stanley Simons) away from his musical ambitions and closer to the world of professional wrestling. Fritz asserts his almost totalitarian rule over the family by bluntly ranking his four sons from favourite to least favourite, adding that the pecking order is always subject to change. This emotionless matter-of-fact message regularly delivered by the family patriarch serves as a constant reminder to the siblings that unless they reach their athletic potential, they will never be accepted as one of the family. In an attempt to give Kevin a push towards an NWA World Championship match, he is partnered with his younger brother David (Harris Dickinson). Due to his natural showmanship and trash-talking skills, it is David who ultimately becomes the number one contender much to Kevin’s chagrin.

As a result of the 1980 Summer Olympic boycott following Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, the fourth and final Von Erich sibling, Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) returns home with his Olympic dreams dashed. Not one for missing an opportunity, Fritz swiftly capitalises on the situation and Kerry joins Kevin and David in the ring, where the trio claim the Six-Man Tag Team Championship. As tensions begin to rise between the siblings and their father, on top of the physical and psychological demands in the ring, the alleged family “curse” begins to take its toll.

As a fan of wrestling myself I was familiar with the Von Erichs and their legacy going in, but I was not fully aware of the horrific set of circumstances that would haunt the family over the decades. A far cry from the feel good sporting stories that have hit the big screens over the years, ‘The Iron Claw’ is a devastating and visceral depiction of professional wrestling and the burdens that come with it. This all stems from Durkin’s exemplary writing and direction, as he perfectly balances the highs and lows of the Von Erichs, both in and out the ring. His compassion towards the family is evident, with the film serving equally as a domestic drama as much as a sporting one. Along with cinematographer Mátyás Erdély, Durkin manages to the capture the tenderness of the brothers’ bond with one another, as they enjoy their restricted freedom amongst the sun-kissed Texas landscape.

The brothers’ close-knit relationship is realised by four outstanding performances, the standout being Zac Efron in a career best turn. The 36-year-old is unrecognisable from his High School Musical days and perfectly captures the inner turmoil and innocence of Kevin Von Erich despite his hulking presence. The film’s emotional weight lies heavily on Efron’s bulky shoulders and he does not fail to deliver. Recent up-and-comers Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) and Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) seem to excel in anything they star in at the moment and much like Efron, show great athleticism in physically demanding roles. Then at the other end of the emotional spectrum lies Holt McCallany as the formidable and self-centred Fritz. A true “villain” of the this heart-breaking story, whose parental ineptitude sees him push his sons beyond their limits to compensate for his own failures. Along with his outspoken but frustratingly passive wife, Doris (Maura Tierney), Fritz implements a go hard or go home mentality on his boys and if they cannot cope with it, they are on their own.

I was heavily invested going into my screening of ‘The Iron Claw’ as a result of my wrestling knowledge but I was not anticipating for be floored by the film as much as I was. From the performances, Durkin’s direction, soundtrack, all the way down to the historically accurate wrestling choreography, this film hardly put a foot wrong and goes to show that the precedent set by Rocky all those years ago can be matched, or in this case topped, if a filmmaker is willing to go against the grain.

The Iron Claw is now showing in UK Cinemas

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