In the US, the von Erich family was a prolific wrestling family. Fritz von Erich and wife Doris had six sons, five of whom tragically died before Fritz’s death in 1997. The Iron Claw, directed by The Nest director Sean Durkin, brings their story to the big screen with Zac Efron portraying Kevin von Erich, the last surviving son of the von Erichs.
Set in 1980s Texas, the von Erichs’ life revolves around sports- specifically, wrestling – thanks to the patriarch and former wrestler Fritz (Holt McCallany). The von Erichs were known for the “iron claw”, a clawhold move that they popularised in the ring. Fritz dreams of having the world heavyweight title in the family and pins his hopes on his older sons – Kevin, David (Harris Dickinson) and Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) – to bring it home. However, the family experience a string of personal tragedies, which Kevin calls “the von Erich” curse.
The film quickly establishes that Fritz is a man driven by success. Being successful is a life lesson he continually instils in his children, exerting his position in a male-dominated home while his wife Doris (an underused Maura Tierney) comes across as a passive witness. The relentless pressure he places on his sons to be successful, especially in wrestling, betrays his toxic parenting when he only offers praise when they win and singles a particular son out when they have a chance to win a title, evoking inevitable jealousy among the siblings. Fritz’s inappropriate and single-minded remarks make for painful watching, but Durkin’s screenplay ultimately shapes this as an integral component of the narrative, as it plays a part in the downfall of the von Erich family.
Compared to the closed-off Fritz, the endearing brotherhood between the younger von Erichs shows that they have each others’ backs but as soon as wrestling becomes involved, this shifts into heartwrenching aggression. This change in dynamic beautifully allows the ensemble cast – comprising Dickinson, Allen White, James and McCallany, and spearheaded by a bulked-up Efron in a career-defining performance – to enable various expressive performances as they experience happiness, sadness, and frustration. The growing friction amid the family – not just between the brothers but between them and their parents – is also subtlely reflected during the film’s numerous wrestling scenes that see the von Erichs pushed to their physical limits and experiencing serious injuries, highlighting that professional wrestling – while a choreographed show – is just as dangerous as any contact sport.
Highlighting a seven-year project for the filmmaker, Durkin conveys sensitivity in this fraught biopic to ensure the von Erichs were accurately portrayed without falling into oversentimentality. In addition, his continued collaboration with The Nest cinematographer Mátyás Erdély incorporates careful angles and subtle changes in lighting to emphasise the fractured camaraderie between the brothers, as well as the emotional turmoil that enfolds when tragedy strikes again and again.
Durkin masterfully builds up the turmoil witnessed by Kevin, only for it to culminate in this biopic’s heartbreaking final scene that solidifies Efron as a dramatic actor. In terms of biopics, The Iron Claw is one of the rawest and most poignant yet stunning features in recent years, highlighting a tenderness to the prolific wrestling family.
The Iron Claw is out in UK cinemas on 9 February 2024.
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Director: Sean Durkin
Stars: Zac Efron, Holt McCallany, Jeremy Allen White, Maura Tierney, Harris Dickinson, Lily James
Runtime: 132 minutes
Country: USA
