The Iron Claw review
By Anthony Heron
The Iron Claw cast and director with the real Kevin Von Elrich
Professional wrestling is an often-unexplored form of entertainment. Usually labelled as “fake” or “childish”, few films have tried to tell wrestling-centric stories since Darren Aronofskys gritty “The Wrestler”, until “The Iron Claw”.
A24 film “The Iron Claw” tells the true story of the Von Erich family, a Texan wrestling dynasty who dominated the territories through the 1980s. The film follows their shared careers and the toll it took on them personally and as a family. The first thing you’ll notice in “The Iron Claw” is the amount of love that went into it.
Director Sean Durkin is neither well-known nor highly regarded, but it’s abundantly clear that he’s truly passionate about professional wrestling. His knowledge and love of the product shine through, making the entire film feel more personal.
Although it’s clear that his inexperience was an issue. This is by far the biggest production he’s ever helmed, and it seems he struggled to establish a tone. The film jumps so quickly from being upbeat to being tragic that it almost gives the viewer whiplash.
It could be argued that this is to truly demonstrate the shock of these tragic situations, but the switches in tone aren’t done well enough to make this a valid argument. Inaccuracy could also be an issue for viewers who are more knowledgeable about the Von Erich story, as one brother is absent from the film, presumably this decision was made to create a more focused and concise story.
Despite this, what really brings the film together is the performances. Holt McCallany gives his career best as Fritz Von Erich, the patriarch of the family. The real Fritz is widely known to have been cold and sometimes manipulative, something McCallany manages to capture throughout the film.
Fritz constantly puts wrestling above the well-being of his sons, this very easily could’ve made Fritz hard to watch, but McCallany gives the character a sense of intrigue, keeping the viewer wondering what could make him so detached?
Zac Efron has never been known for his dramatic chops, but he gives a serviceable performance as Kevin Von Erich, the film's protagonist. Kevin often bares the brunt of his father's abuse and carries a lot on his shoulders as the oldest brother. Efron portrays this pressure very well, making Kevin the most sympathetic character in a film filled with sympathetic characters.
Jeremy Allen White is just as enthralling as Kerry Von Erich, the family’s most talented son. White brings his experience playing troubled characters on “Shameless” and “The Bear” to the film, simultaneously applying the same kind of characterisation to Kerry while also making the character stand entirely on his own.
All in all, while “The Iron Claw” often reaches great heights, it struggles to maintain them. The films inconsistency is its downfall and prevents it from getting to the level of other sports classics.
However, the ensemble cast does justice to the real Von Erichs and carries the film. “The Iron Claw” is a must-see for any wrestling fan, but falls short of creating the impact other A24 films have.