The Iron Claw
Directed by Sean DurkinThe 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.
Cast of The Iron Claw
The Iron Claw Ratings & Reviews
- Nick Adams1d agoI really wanted to like The Iron Claw, but something about it didn’t fully connect for me. The pacing felt off like it was rushing through moments that needed time to settle and resonate. It tells a heartbreaking story, but the emotional weight didn’t always land the way it could have. Some of it even felt a little unreal, even though I know much of it is based on truth. I admire what the film was reaching for, but I walked away feeling more distant than moved
- alexis_leFebruary 22, 2025Excellent movie! Very emotional for sure. Be in a good mind before watching the movie.
- PlexCannonFebruary 17, 2025Great film with beefy dudes
- RickFebruary 12, 2025I was really looking forward to this movie and kinda feel let down. There were several instances where the editing just didn’t quite work out for me, and left the movie feeling jumpy and slightly incoherent. I was very impressed with all the performances in the film though.
- parktool69December 1, 2024too sad
- RyezooFebruary 4, 2025As someone who doesn’t watch a lot of wrestling this was very interesting and tragic story I’ve never heard of. Fantastic performance by Zac Efron. Man was daddy a dick.
- Desmond DaleJanuary 24, 2025It'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.
- Tyler SJanuary 18, 2025👍👍 8/10
- rg9400November 1, 2024This is the biggest surprise of the year for me, and honestly, it may still climb my rankings as time continues to pass. I had not heard anyone talking about it, but it’s such a fantastic movie deserving to be in the conversation. It’s a stunning exploration of toxic masculinity, and even though it's a wrestling movie, it's not really about wrestling. It's about brotherhood, filial responsibility, and the drive for a father's validation. Zac Efron is amazing. I really did not expect this level of range from him. And even though I don't think it's a focal point, I was impressed with some of the cinematography at times. From the opening shot, to the way the sound of the crowd roared all around you (in theaters at least), to the way the camera would focus on one specific point as the impact seeped into you. It has the best ending scene of the year, and Zac Efron deserves trophies for this movie, sorry to all the other Best Actor contenders.
- VarunOctober 19, 2024I go into most movies completely blind but that was a mistake in this case because I had no idea it was a true story until the end of the movie. I forgave the simple plot structure once I knew it was about real people instead of a fictional story. The acting was good across the board, with Jeremy Allen White and Holt McCallany standing out. Toxic positivity and ambition can very easily take over all other emotions in your life and especially be suffocating for kids who have grown up with authoritative and egotistic parents. What’s more tragic than death is it’s potential ability to spread a domino effect of depression and the desire to leave one’s life as well. People that don’t develop a strong sense of individuality or rebelliousness are more prone to superstitious beliefs that control their fate. I found out that the movie completely skips out on one of the real brothers, Chris Von Erich, and the director mentioned the reason for this is it would’ve made the movie even more tragic and unbearable. I understand that argument but I don’t know how I feel about omitting a person’s life when you’re making a true story film about an entire family. The movie was well shot and decently paced and got you connected to all the characters and made you feel the strong brotherly love they shared. The love story beginnings of Kevin and Pam wasn’t portrayed effectively but she ends up being an important person who grounds Kevin during tragedy. The movie tackled the flawed love the sons had for their father really well. Although this type of wrestling is scripted and I haven’t cared much for it, in the past few years, thanks to the YouTuber Super Eyepatch Wolf, I’ve come to recognise that it involves very talented people who put in a ton of hard work and go through real pain and emotions in order to entertain and rise to the top, including the chance to take part in Hollywood productions.
