The Iron Claw
The Iron Claw
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.
Desmond Dale reviewedJanuary 24, 2025
It's definitely a throwback to the tear-jerking soaring action dramas of the 80s. It's unabashedly simple in just about every way but this grants its audience a razer sharp focus on the emotional performances by its stars.
Zac Efron and the entire family does a great job of capturing the quaint familial love of small town Texas. And despite being an absurdly dark tale, it feels like an earnest Americana love letter. The dialogue is often basic and concise but packed full of emotional depth and its the bond that's established by the brothers that really gives this film an optimistic feel despite its bleak narrative.
My only gripe is not taking advantage of the opportunity to show Kevin Von Erich in the ring one last time to give us one last jolt of Rocky-like buoyancy.