For all the pomp and spectacle of professional wrestling, there is a surprising lack of movies devoted to this unique and singular art form. Straddling the line between sport – which is something its pre-determined outcomes exclude it from – and entertainment, this carnival-like world offers a medley of bizarre and fascinating stories about the human condition. Only Darren Aronofsky‘s The Wrestler, which depicted an accurate, warts-and-all look at the world of wrestling and its impact on performers of the sport, and Stephen Merchant‘s Fighting With My Family, which did not, come to mind as standout examples.
Sean Durkin‘s The Iron Claw operates somewhere between both of those movies. In telling the true and tragic story of the Von Erich family – a wrestling dynasty who achieved great accolades but suffered incredible misfortune – within the tight frame of a feature-length film, much has to be omitted, pared down, or changed outright to make narrative sense. This is understandable but may leave those familiar with the Von Erich story feeling slightly short-changed. On the other hand, what Durkin has crafted is a masterwork of emotion, of familial bonds, of betrayal and agony. Often feeling akin to a Greek tragedy with its borderline-unbelievable turn of events, The Iron Claw manages to strike roughly the right balance between telling a great story while also staying true to the source material.
I Wanna Live This Way Forever
Early on in The Iron Claw, four brothers sneak out of their house while their parents are sleeping. Eldest Kevin (Zac Efron), David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (Jeremy Allan White), and Michael (Stanley Simons), are determined to attend a party they’ve been forbidden by their parents to attend. A party at which Michael’s band is booked to play.
As the brothers throw themselves into the party with abandon, Kerry drinking beer whilst doing handstand push-ups, Michael’s band revs up into a spectacular chorus. “I wanna live this way forever” he sings with an intensity and focus evoking something of an early Robert Plant vibe. You find yourself wanting that for them, too. Even as the shadow of pain looms large over them, you find yourself hoping this moment will last for them forever. These are brothers who love each other, and life, with such ferocity you can’t help but root for them.
The brothers are sons of Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany), a washed-up former wrestler determined that his sons will reach the heights he himself failed to reach. He’s the kind of helicopter parent who organises his kids from most to least favourite, and informs them if they work hard the order can change. Fritz controls each of his sons’ lives in minor, subtle ways, guiding them surreptitiously to the goals he himself has set for them.
The Von Erichs
Central to the story is Kevin Von Erich. As the eldest Kevin feels the weight of his father’s expectations probably the most, but also functions as a father figure to his brothers in a way Fritz cannot. Kevin can never live up to his father’s hopes, finding solace mostly in his relationship with Pam (Lily James), and his brothers. Family is the most important thing in Kevin’s life, and The Iron Claw is at its strongest when showcasing the impenetrable bond the brothers have with each other. Efron is unrecognisable in the role of beefed-up Kevin, a million miles from his floppy-haired teen heartthrob days. He carries a burden which he wears on his face in every scene and Efron never lets up. Even those lighter moments, such as his first date with Pam, are tinged with pain as he informs her about ‘the family curse’. You get the sense Kevin is buckling under the strain of it all.
Elsewhere Jeremy Allan White excels as Kerry Von Erich, the most successful and popular of the dynasty. Kerry was the only one who held the coveted NWA title, and leaped into the mainstream with WWF as the “Texas Tornado”. White‘s intensity, used to great effect in The Bear, and physicality lend themselves well to the character. Dickinson‘s David was the most charismatic of the group, using his promo skills on the mic to set himself up a title shot before tragedy stole it from him, while Simons has arguably the most thankless role – excluding James’ Pam and Maura Tierney‘s Von Erich matriarch, both of whom are underused and given little to do – as the overlooked Michael, most sensitive of the group and least likely to attain wrestling stardom. Michael’s fate is arguably the most devastating of all. Finally, McCallany steals the show as the complicated, emotionally barren Fritz, able to show love and appreciation for his sons in small, rapid-fire moments, but ultimately too ambitious to ever care for them unconditionally. There are genuinely chilling moments when Fritz’ naked opportunism shines through at the expense of his sons, and all you can do is shake your head in disgust.
Durkin films The Iron Claw through a clear-eyed lens, in a similar style that he brought to Martha Marcy May Marlene. Apart from an overly sentimental and tonally awkward coda, the story told here is not overwrought or emotionally manipulative. There is no awards-baiting here (which may explain its shocking omission from the awards season nominations). Instead, each moment, each setback, in the lives of the Von Erichs is told in such a straightforward manner that it’s initially jarring, as though your brain refuses to accept what has just happened without the aid of twenty minutes of foreshadowing and ominous scoring. Durkin also pays homage to wrestling through the use of tight angles and rough, guerilla-style camerawork during in-ring moments. These are contrasted especially well with earlier, more peaceful moments before the brothers’ lives implode, such as a lovely shot of them lazing on the river, floating gently downstream.
Anyone who knows the Von Erich’s story won’t be surprised by the sheer number of tragedies that family has endured – and there was a fifth brother, Chris, who also met with a terrible fate, whom Durkin chose to leave out altogether for fear it would just be too much for the audience -, but those new to the story might struggle, especially as the tight timeline means the second half feels a little relentless at times. It’s tempting to think the end coda was added in to help lift the mood a little.
Conclusion:
The Iron Claw is a spectacular triumph of a movie. You may call it a movie about wrestling, or a movie about tragedy, but ultimately it’s a movie about family, the power and force of it and how it affects the lives of its members. It feels, at times, similar to Sophia Coppola‘s The Virgin Suicides, only with spandex and steroids. Whether you are new to the Von Erich’s story, and professional wrestling in general, or whether you are a fan with knowledge of these true events, Durkin‘s moving, muscular tale will astound and captivate you, and is unlikely to leave a dry eye in the house.
The Iron Claw is now available for streaming in the US through Prime Video and is in cinemas in the UK from 9th February.
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