The Iron Claw is a 2023 biographical sports drama film written and directed by Sean Durkin, based on the life of professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich and the Von Erich family.

The story of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers from the 1960s onwards that had enormous success, and popularized the iron claw professional wrestling hold. However, they not only had to battle inside the ring, but fight the "Von Erich curse" outside of it.

The talented cast includes Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, and Lily James.

The Iron Claw made its debut in theaters on December 22nd, courtesy of A24.

THE GOOD

If you have read any of the reviews that Andrew or myself have put out into the world odds are you are aware of our fanboy-level obsession with all things A24. You can pretty much guarantee that if they attach their name to a project, it will be worth watching. And I remember when they first announced The Iron Claw and teased the cast, Andrew and I were ecstatic. I mean their involvement was enough to get our asses in the seats on opening day, but the cast they put together was noteworthy. I grew up around wrestling to a certain extent mainly because my cousin was obsessed to the point where my uncle would order the big Wrestlemania’s on Pay Per View, and we even played the videogames. Admittedly I enjoyed the spectacle of it all, and the entertainment value was undeniable. The Rock, The Undertaker, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and many more, these guys earned every dollar and made sure each one of these big events was memorable.

Admittedly I had zero knowledge of the Von Erich family and what they meant to the world of wrestling in the 70’s and the 80’s, but the fact that this film was going to tell their story had me intrigued. Instead of doing research in advance, I decided to hold off and be surprised once the film hit theaters. So, did The Iron Claw meet or exceed my high expectations for the latest film from A24? Keep reading to find out!

Wow, just wow. This movie was seriously so damn good, and from the glorious black and white opening sequence I was basically in awe right up until the end credits, at which time I was a mess by the way which I will talk more about later. As I said I went in blind as far as the story behind the Von Erich family, and to say I was blown away would be an understatement. Just so incredibly powerful and tragic, and to be honest it is hard to even fathom the fact that the events that transpired in the film actually happened.

People like to talk about how fake wrestling is but this story is a reminder that there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to the sport of wrestling, and the big and not so big names who put it on the map in its heyday. I thought the screenplay was pretty much flawless. As far as the cast which I was personally extra excited about, man they crushed it. The soundtrack was incredible as it brought viewers back to the late 70’s/early 80’s. I feel like Blue Oyster Cult’s 1976 song (Don’t Fear) The Reaper is in everything in the last 20 years or so, and trust me I am not complaining.

The star of the show for The Iron Claw is without a doubt the story, and boy did it hit me like a freight train. Now as I said I went in with little to no knowledge of what to expect in terms of the history of the Von Erich family, and I am glad I did. At just over 2 hours they barely fit into this film the tragedy that this family experienced over the years, personally and professionally, and I honestly found myself just shaking my head like how is this even possible? The primary theme of the film is this so-called “Von Erich curse”, which was attached to the family early on in the career of Fritz Von Erich (born Jack Barton Adkisson) after they experienced the first of many unimaginable tragedies.

For the film to successfully tell this story in a way that effectively captivates viewers on an emotional level, it was important to tap into the psyche of this family so that as the story unfolded you felt the weight of what was happening, and just the sheer magnitude of it all. It honestly felt suffocating at times, and this speaks to how they told this story in such a raw and intimate way. At times throughout the film, we hear Kevin Von Erich narrating just to add emotional weight to the film, and I thought this was very effective.

I mean I could seriously talk about this film for hours and hours just in terms of what this family endured, and I am honestly still in a state of disbelief. At its core, this story is about the unbreakable bond of family and the idea of the relentless pursuit of the so-called “American Dream”. Just like the trademark wrestling move that inspired the film’s title, The Iron Claw crushed me by the end leaving me reaching for the tissues. I experienced head-to-toe chills a few times as this was without question one of the best screenplays in recent memory.

If there was ever a time Zac Efron was deserving of some serious credit as an actor, that time is now. I was feeling pretty good about absolutely demolishing an entire bucket of delicious warm buttery popcorn until Efron showed up on-screen. I mean seriously, holy shit did he get jacked for this movie. He’s been pretty shredded as of late anyway but I swear he doubled his muscle. As a straight man who is very comfortable with his sexuality, his physique is a damn distraction, and I don’t even feel weird admitting that. Like, his muscles had muscles. His co-stars described him as a maniac because of his transformation as he prepared for his latest endeavor. Now physical prowess aside, Efron crushes this role. This is easily his best performance to date, and the emotion he was able to bring to his character simply blew me away.

As a member of the family tragedy brigade, a group I would not wish on anyone but a close-knit group nonetheless, his character resonated with me on a very personal level. From a big family myself with four boys that has always lacked the emotional maturity to navigate significant tragedy, many times throughout the film I felt the emotions Efron’s character was feeling in such a way that it almost felt surreal. I could go on all day talking about how my life felt connected to that of Kevin Von Erich, but I will tone it back for this review. The final act of the film was just a masterclass from Efron, and if he doesn’t get consideration come awards time I will be rioting, simple as that. I didn’t think it was possible to like him more as an actor than I already did.

I had to start with Efron because he is the focal point of the film, but The Iron Claw includes a ton of amazing performances which I will try to touch on without turning this review into a novel. Holt McCallany, who I have been a fan of since the amazing Netflix series Mindhunter, takes on the role of family patriarch Fritz Von Erlich. I’m going to refer to him as Holt mainly because I am too lazy to ensure I spell his last name correctly each time, but as an actor, he just has a certain presence about him that was perfect for this role. The Von Erich family is old school in the sense that they lived by a certain code that Fritz instilled in them from a very young age, and where they could not effectively communicate emotion they made up for it with hard work and perseverance. I thought Holt brought the right amount of charisma and stoic energy to the role to ensure that the entire family dynamic came together.

Alongside Holt is Maura Tierney as the family matriarch, Doris Von Erich. I thought Tierney was great in this role as you could see the pain in her face as she suffered tragedy no mother should ever have to experience. I loved each actor’s portrayal of the brothers, but my favorite performances aside from Efron were Harris Dickinson as David Van Erich, and Shameless and The Bear star Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Van Erich. Dickinson has been making a name for himself as of late starring in The King’s Man (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), and Where the Crawdads Sing (2022). He plays an important role as David Von Erich who although he is the 3rd born in the family, is still one of the siblings that is integral to the personal and professional success of the family, and Dickinson nailed it.

Speaking of actors being on a hot streak, Jeremy Allen White seems to have become a household name overnight after the success of the Hulu comedy-drama series The Bear. White plays Kerry Von Erich, formerly an accomplished Olympic athlete, who ended up having one of the most notable wrestling careers in the Von Erich family. I knew I would enjoy his role in the film and he delivered. White is proving himself as one of the most capable dramatic actors working today, and this role serves as yet another notch in his belt.

I was very impressed by Stanley Simons, a relatively unknown actor, as he took on the role of Mike Von Erich. In many ways, Mike seemed to be the black sheep of the family in the earlier years, and Simons did a great job becoming his character. I liked Lily James in her role as the wife of Kevin due to the strong chemistry she shared with Efron. Like I said I could go on and on talking about the performances, but the entire cast was incredible, and the physical transformations for Efron and White in particular put the performances over the top for me.

From a technical standpoint, where do I even start?! I mean seriously, The Iron Claw transports viewers back to the late 70’s/early 80’s in such a way that at one point I thought I would walk out of the theater and people would be rocking crop tops and tracksuits. Writer/director Sean Durkin deserves a ton of credit for all that he achieved with this film. The costume and set design was just incredible as it brought this world to life and made sure that these actors transcended their actual identities and became the Von Erich family. From the outfits to the hair, the the cars used in the film, the vintage feel was evident throughout.

The camera work was fantastic as well, adding a great in-your-face feel to some of the more dramatic sequences. And last but not least, I loved, loved, loved the score and soundtrack for The Iron Claw. I am a sucker for late 70’s/early 80’s rock, and the film included some classics from bands like Blue Oyster Cult and Rush, as well as present-day artists like Doja Cat and Jack Harlow. Just a great overall mix of tracks, brought together seamlessly by a hard-hitting score from composer Richard Reed Parry.

THE BAD

This is top-notch filmmaking from top to bottom, simple as that. But with that being said, the subject matter of the film could easily prove to be too much for some viewers. Most notably the film portrays the incredibly difficult subject of suicide, and it is a focal point for a good portion of the film. So if that is a subject you are especially sensitive to I would proceed with caution, but otherwise I can’t think of any other issues I had with the film.

THE VERDICT

An incredibly tragic and powerful true story about the unbreakable bond of family anchored by a captivating masterclass of performance from actor Zac Efron, The Iron Claw is one of those rare cinematic experiences that culminate in a heartbreaking and transcendent final act. I honestly can’t stop thinking about this movie, and I am still having a difficult time wrapping my brain around what this family went through. Although it deals with a very difficult subject matter, The Iron Claw is an exceptional film that needs to be experienced in theaters.