The Iron Claw Closes 2023

It takes a lot to get me in a movie theater these days, but with a cast as stacked as The Iron Claw, consider my ticket sold.

The Iron Claw may have released too late in the year for Golden Globe nominations, but don’t sleep on the fact that it may possibly be an awards contender for the Oscars this March. It was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the National Board of Review, alongside the likes of Oppenheimer, Past Lives, and Poor Things.

The Iron Claw is the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

Let me preface this by saying that I have absolutely no interest in wrestling, but what I do have interest in is cast this movie boasts – Zac Efron (No, I’ve never seen High School Musical), Jeremy Allen White (Shameless, The Bear), Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness), and the Von Erich patriarch played by Holt McCallany (Bill in Mindhunter).

Whether you know the history of the Von Erick family or not, Efron narrates us through the film. In the opening scene, he delves into the Von Erich curse, a series of mounting tragedies that unfold as the film progresses. It’s sad. Real sad. Keep your tissues handy, because this one will sneak up on you.

The entire cast in the film wholeheartedly embodies their characters, with some suggesting that Efron might ascend to the level of an Academy Award nominee. While his performance is undeniably compelling, it falls short in terms of character development needed to explore the broader historical context. The film adheres closely to the family’s historical Wikipedia points, expertly delivered by Efron, yet there’s a certain element that felt lacking to me.

“Throughout the film, we watch as Kevin and his brothers—rising star David (Harris Dickinson), aspiring Olympian Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), sensitive kid Mike (Stanley Simons)—assert their love for one another, but we don’t really feel it. We don’t get to know the family much beyond these broad, declarative brushstrokes. Perhaps there was just so much to survey that depth and detail had to be eschewed. The trouble is, when the bad stuff does start happening—and then happens, again and again—it’s hard to grasp the central why of it all. Why is this family so doomed, so pained, so self-destructive and unhappy?” via Vanity Fair.

The challenge lies more in Durkin’s writing than in the performances, which are undeniably among the best of the year. Perhaps with a different director at the helm, I could have experienced more of the film’s desired emotional depth, instead of delving into a narrative saturated with self-destructive toxic masculinity.

Devoted wrestling enthusiasts will likely relish revisiting the extravagance of this era, yet the average moviegoer may find it challenging to engage with the compelling narrative of brotherhood and tragedy it presents.