“The Iron Claw” directed by Sean Durkin is an emotional chronicling of the legendary Von Erich wrestling family from their meteoric rise to their tragic fall.
The movie tells the true story of the legendary Von Erich Brothers through all of the triumphs and tragedies that they faced in the 1980’s wrestling scene. The brothers throughout this time must withstand their abusive fathers (Holt McCallany) unreachable standards and this leads to unimaginable tragedies in each of their lives.
This was an absolutely heart wrenching experience. The abuse that each brother faced individually is done in a way that brings what truly happened to them forward rather than glorifying the tragic events. We mainly see the story through the eyes of Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron) and the emotions that he had to go through while enduring every tragedy that fell onto him.
The beginning perfectly captures how glorious their monumental rise to fame was with wrestling matches that will make you excited. The choreography during the matches is nearly perfect in every way. It never feels like the actors held back while doing them and they feel incredibly real. The tone switch from excitement to tragedy is gradual and never feels jarring. Even when it switches somewhat rapidly it is handled incredibly well. The emotional peaks are some of the highest of the 2023 movie circuit and will leave almost everyone tearing up by the end.
The performances are all spectacular. Zac Efron honestly gives an Oscar worthy performance and Jeremy Allen White as Kerry, Harris Dickinson as David, and Stanely Simons as Mike perfectly bounce off of him and feel like they really have a brotherly bond. Holt McCallany is another stand out because of how well he plays Fritz Von Erich. He feels domineering through the screen and there is no point where he doesn’t demand your attention.
“The Iron Claw” is a depressing movie through and through with plenty of moments that stack on top of each other to create an insanely heartbreaking biopic. This is by far one of the best biopics released this year and even if you aren’t familiar with the Von Erich family it is still a must watch.
Directed by Sean Durkin
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney, Lily James
Rated R
Runtime: 132 minutes
My Rating: ★★★★½
