The Iron Claw

The Iron Claw (2023) Movie Review

I’ve discussed A24’s impressive resume numerous times before, but the studio’s string of incredible releases continues, rarely skipping a beat and continuing to impress. The studio has continued to take risks with its releases, largely paying off critically and commercially, with an extensive list of amazing films, including:

·       The Witch (2016);

·       Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (2022);

·       Green Room (2016);

·       Hereditary (2018);

·       Midsommar (2019);

·       The Green Knight (2021);

·       The Disaster Artist (2018);

·       The Lighthouse (2019);

·       X (2022);

·       Pearl (2022);

·       Dream Scenario (2023);

And many, many more. They continue to impress, by giving filmmakers a voice that a lot of other studios aren’t willing to gamble on. The Iron Claw is a perfect example of this. Writer/director Sean Durkin took a chance, telling the true, real-life story of the Von Erich family, more specifically the Von Erich brothers. For those who don’t know, the Von Erich brothers were famous wrestlers in the 1980s. They were at the top of their game! The film focuses on their relationship with each other and their domineering father and family patriarch whilst also navigating the success of being the best professional wrestlers in the world. With A24 backing, and an amazing cast, with the likes of Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt Mccallny and Lily James, I was excited to see this one and it did not disappoint.

‘The Iron Claw’ is bolstered by its fantastic performances. Bringing these real-life people to life would have been very intimidating, even for its talented cast, and writer/director Sean Durkin took the necessary steps to ensure that it was done in a tasteful and respectful manner, even meeting with the family several times, and having the cast also meet the members of the family, to ensure their performances were raw and authentic, whilst also being respectful. Zac Efron delivers the best work of his career here. Predominantly doing comedy films in recent years, it was nice to see him take on a more dramatic role, allowing him to really flex his acting chops. He is really wonderful here, doing a lot of the heavy lifting for the oldest brother Kevin Von Erich. The supporting cast here are truly wonderful as well, Jeremy Allen White plays Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich and Maxwell David Friendman as Lance von Erich. All 3 of them do a wonderful job portraying the brothers and bringing them to life, capturing the conflicts of the family whilst also capturing the pitfalls of fame and living in the public eye. Holt McCallny is also wonderful here as the patriarch of the family, Fritz Von Erich. He steals almost every scene he is in, really capturing this dominant force and an important member of their family unit. Mccallny has been terrific in many other projects before including his work as Agent Tench in David Fincher’s Mindhunter, but here he is truly stunning, an unfortunately, he and others in the cast were overlooked when it came time for award season, which is truly the definition of an Oscar-snub, as the cast all could have easily snagged a nomination for their work here. The film is worth checking out for the amazing performances alone, but what really holds it all together is its story.

The film does a great job of capturing the tragedy of the story of the Von Erich family. I don’t want to give anything away, as I was unfamiliar myself with the tragedy that fell upon this family, but the film’s story is told in a devastating, but also compassionate way, that serves as a faithful dramatization of their story without ever falling into the trap of being melodramatic or disrespectful. There really is an artistry to toeing this fine line, as many biopics and other based on real-events films, tend to lean too far in the melodramatic side of things, where it may make for a more polished story, but you lose the reality of the film in taking this approach and in-turn can make a film that doesn’t feel real. I am glad A24 allowed Sean Durkin to tell the story as he intended to, as it really did make the film feel more authentic and truer to itself, never sacrificing the drama, but rather amplifying it in a real and raw way.

‘The Iron Claw’ was a remarkable surprise. As mentioned, I knew nothing of the family and their story, it was a little before my time, but when the credits started to roll, I was left with a profound melancholic feeling, and overcome with emotions, more so here than I have experienced in any other film recently. Its due to the amazing direction from Sam Durkin and his incredible script, as well it’s the truly amazing performances from its incredibly talented cast. If you’re remotely interested in this film based on its cast or story, then you need to check it out. You won’t be disappointed. Secure your copy of ‘The Iron Claw’ on DVD or Blu-Ray and for everything else, be sure to shop Sanity’s incredible range of goodies. There are tons of products to choose from, so shop below.

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here