The Iron Claw Review: Zac Efron stars in a tragic story of suffering and loss

How tragic can someone's life be? The question that dwindled in my mind as I watched The Iron Claw. Apart from knowing that it stars Zac Efron, I started watching the movie without having prior knowledge about its storyline. However, after two hours of watch, I ended up googling the heart-wrenching story of the Von Erich brothers, one of the greatest wrestling families of America - whose life forms the base of The Iron Claw.

The essence of the two-hour-long movie and the lives of the Von Erich brothers is captured in the climax when the eldest brother Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron) utters, ''I Used To Be A Brother, And I'm Not A Brother Anymore,”- a moment through which writer-director Sean Durkin depicts the devastating situation that Kevin is in after the death of all his brothers.

The movie takes enough time to capture the audience's attention, conveying that the true battle that the Von Erich brothers were fighting was not in the wrestling ring, but in their actual life. It is anyway a challenging task to capture someone's life in any film- Durkin here takes the herculean task of telling the story of the whole family. However, Durkin, with his direction and writing, has perfectly captured the retro vibe of the 80s Texas and told a compelling story.

What's The Movie About?

From the first frame, the movie transports you back to 1980s Texas in the life of Von Erich, and his ambition to become world wrestling champion. The movie begins at a wrestling ring where we see Fritz Von Erich dominating the ring, however, he's struggling financially. The story fast forwards, Fritz is now a retired man, and becomes a coach of his four sons, Kevin, David, Kerry, and Mike, aiming to fulfil his dream of becoming NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champions.

Fritz has five sons with his wife Doris, his oldest boy died when he was very young. Then comes Kevin and David, both well-known professional wrestlers of Texas. The third boy is Kerry, a discus thrower, who is set to go to the Olympics, but all his dreams are shattered when America boycotted the Olympic Games under Jimmy Carter's presidency. After his bad luck in discus throwing, Kerry also joins his family business of wrestling.

Following their father's footsteps blindly, not a single boy crosses questions and keeps on pushing their limits in the ring until their life starts going downhill.

One after the other, all the Von Erich brothers continue to struggle mentally, physically and emotionally, resulting in a series of tragedies and multiple deaths.

The Narration

Set to a sombre tone, director Sean Durkin commendably encapsulates the key events of the Von Erichs' lives, both personal and professional. From the outset, the film delves into the lives of the four boys, showcasing their successes, wrestling triumphs, brotherhood, and the daunting take their life took.

The movie initially takes time to settle in. In the first half, viewers who are unfamiliar with Von Erich's life may find it difficult, and confusing initially. However, the fast-paced narrative, the brothers' chemistry, and the music somehow manage to hold the audience, gripping their attention in the second half.

The Iron Claw also touches upon the toxic masculinity of Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany), and how his role was somewhere responsible for the plagued condition of his family, not the Von Erich curse. With the sense of profound sadness and guilt throughout the movie and despite the tragedies, the movie honours the lives of Von Erichs' brothers.

Despite the profound sadness and guilt shown in the second part of the film, the movie's first half successfully honours the lives of the Von Erich brothers, as we see them enjoying their lives.

Zac Efron has effectively played the role of Kerry Von Erich, exuding the right amount of emotion and poignant nuance, as the scene demanded. Zac's performance will make you grip throughout the movie. The other boys Jeremy Allen White as Kerry, Harris Dickinson as David and Stanley Simons as Mike, gave a powerful performance. Lily James as Pam Adkisson (wife of Kevin Von Erich) didn't get the deserving screen time. However, she was impressive in her performance.

Skip it or watch it?

The Iron Claw is a daunting, powerful and traumatic life of a family. With a solid performance, director Sean Durkin has told the story impressively and compellingly. Expect no thrills or chills, it's a sombre drama that deserves a lot of patience in the start until you are gripped with Von Erich and their life.

If you have enough time this weekend, then this movie should definitely be on your watch list.

The Iron Clawis streaming in India on Lionsgate Play.