The story of the Von Erich family is excruciatingly sad, but Iron Claw doesn’t dive right into the tragedy. Instead, it takes care to paint a picture of a close-knit family that’s filled with just as much warmth, jealousy, affection, and resentment as the next bunch. Durkin masterfully draws you into their circle so that everything that happens next is sure to cut deep. The choreography, chemistry, color—everything is carefully and beautifully set up, but the casting is what stands out the most. This wouldn’t have worked as well if it weren’t for the inspired move to pair Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons as brothers and partners. On the internet, people have been dubbing The Iron Claw as “Little Women and The Virgin Suicides for men” and it’s not hard to see why. Apart from the sibling bond over glory and growing pains, all these films are also powerful explorations of gender. Iron Claw is a vicious takedown of toxic masculinity, while also being a searing family drama and an incredible showcase for Efron and company.
"“The Iron Claw” is as exuberant as it is mournful, and the high spirits of performance and achievement are inseparable from the price that they exact."
— Richard Brody
"I can’t help but feel as if Durkin’s choice to streamline the Von Erich family saga befits the ecstasy of a sport where the line between truth and fiction is body-slammed from the top rope a dozen times every match."
— David Ehrlich
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) directs this biopic following the famed Von Erich family, who rose to wrestling fame in the 1980s.
Zac Efron gives a career-best, knockout performance here. He deserves all the awards.
You know that feeling you get when you realize what you’re watching is going to be a classic, bound to be rewound in many a movie night? That’s The Iron Claw for you.
