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Whether you’re heavily invested in the world of wrestling or you don’t have a single clue what it’s all about, Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw is one film that cannot be missed during the holiday season. The a24 film follows the true story of the Von Erich family as four brothers are pushed to their limits to follow in their father’s footsteps and continue a legacy that still runs deep within the wrestling community. But when tragedies begin to strike left and right, it is the family star wrestler that must take the initiative to make changes within the family.
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With a movie like The Iron Claw, it’s extremely easy to look at it at face value and call it a “man’s movie.” And to a small extent, it is. The film focuses on hyper-masculinity, both within a family setting as well as within the wrestling world. It’s a man’s sport, and one has to toughen up and push through to be the best of the best, and if you can’t do that, then what good are you? There are only the ones who are strong enough to make it and then the ones who are too weak to last. While this is a common trope in films that do explore masculinity, The Iron Claw does it in an expert way that forces the viewer to challenge what’s right and wrong instead of perpetuating harmful thinking.
The film can easily be narrowed down to a deep dive into grief, religion, and wrestling. But as soon as a pattern of tragic events continue to occur, the story shifts blame back and forth between one’s own weakness to tragedy being God’s decision and determining it was one’s time to go. But never does the fault ever actually lie with the family patriarch whose forcefulness beats down on the Von Erich brothers, whose immortality brings to dwindle. Never does the fault even stretch back to the way wrestling pushes the family past its physical and mental limits. And that’s precisely what makes the film both difficult yet so engaging to watch. You’re sitting there wondering how much more can these people take before somebody says “enough is enough.”
And it’s The Iron Claw that successfully balances the weight of legends with the weight of loss as it closely examines the benefits of family values as well as what it costs to keep those values alive. Because much of the perspective is through the lens of Kevin Von Erich, the eldest of the brothers, it is he who guides the viewer as we witness the massive toll of grief has on his family. All the while, it is Kevin who steps up to challenge the traditional mentality that ran through the family for decades and put an end to the toxic reign in the wrestling community. But even more incredible to watch is the way the stories of all four Von Erich brothers weave together until the very end. It isn’t so much the dialogue that makes the film as heavy as it is. Rather, it’s the stunning cinematography, and the soft and emotional moments of the brothers that are captured so eloquently to display the loving bond they share.
And because the story’s focus is on Kevin and the family he creates himself with his wife, Pam, it is only enhanced by the incredibly emotional performance of Zac Efron who pulls his weight to bring us a heavy and gritty story. If audiences haven’t quite shaken off their attachment of Efron to his time during the High School Musical trilogy, they certainly will now after The Iron Claw. Not only does Efron completely disappear into the role of Kevin Von Erich, but he perfectly captures what it means to be the eldest sibling looking out for the younger kids while also striving to uphold outdated family values that don’t have a place in the present-day world. However, the performances of Harris Dickinson and Jeremy Allen White as David and Kerry Von Erich also provide weight to the film’s tone and themes as they tackle difficult moments belonging to lives so short-lived.
If The Iron Claw has not yet made it to your watchlist, let this be an attempt to persuade you to consider watching it. Zac Efron brings the family together in more ways than one, stealing every moment he can with ease. And while I’m sure it isn’t going to appease every wrestling fan, it’s sure to bring tears to the eye. Even as someone who without any knowledge of the wrestling community, the film brought something different and unexpected to the table that cannot be found in trailers or first looks. In the end, it can’t be helped how some families turn out, but The Iron Claw proves that vicious cycles can end in the blink of an eye.
Samosa Rating:
The Iron Claw receives 4.5 out of 5 Samosas.
The Iron Claw is now playing in theaters.
Runtime: 2h 12m
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