The Iron Claw

Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simmons, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Lily James, Michael Papajohn, Aaron Dean Eisenberg
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Sport
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the true story of the Von Erich brothers, who fought for success in the world of professional wrestling, despite tragedy surrounding their family.

Review:

Tim: The Iron Claw is a well-made, effective film that tells a tragic true story, wrapped up in a sports drama. It's not quite as good as it could have been, but it's still a major success for director Sean Durkin. It missed out on the Academy Awards- it was nominated for nothing. Still, I found it to be one of the better movies of 2023. It's not great, but it's another effective wrestling movie.

This film is absolutely a drama first- the dramatic elements are heightened by the story. I didn't know about the Von Erichs or the tragedies they faced, so this was all new to me. It was so interesting getting to know these characters and follow their story. The film is definitely a bit of a bummer- Durkin never loses sight of the inspirational aspects of this story, but it feel more of a downer than uplifting for most of its runtime. This isn't the easiest movie to watch and viewers should prepare themselves for that. This is really the movie- we see this family struggle every upwards while shackled to their past. Bad things happen, the family has to deal with it, and they move on. It's a story that feels untrue, which always make the best "based on a true story" movies.

The wrestling scenes are good, too- but they always work to serve the drama. Since wrestling is scripted, there's not really the normal excitement and tension you'd feel in a usual sports drama. You waited to see what happened, but it's all preordained. The wrestling scenes were well-shot, but they didn't add a great deal of excitement. Mostly, they were a chance for the cast to showcase the physicality of their performances.

That's really the main reason to see this film- it features a strong cast, giving memorable performances. You have to start with Zac Efron, who completely transformed himself for this role. His physicality was almost shocking- I honestly feel a little worried about him. He's absolutely massive in this film- I'm not sure what he did to get to this physical state, but I hope he's okay moving forward. As far as sacrificing for a film, Efron fully commits. He's a good actor, but it still feels stunning to see how he transformed his body for this role. Efron is good and this movie made me like him even more as an actor.

I've been hearing tons about Jeremy Allen White, but as I haven't seen The Bear, this served as my introduction to him. He was solid in the role, but I wasn't completely blown away by him. I thought he worked decently enough, but I admit I expected a little more from him. He works, but wasn't quite great. Harris Dickinson actually gave a better performance- I felt like he connected better with the audience, allowed us to establish more of an emotional connection with his character here. Stanley Simmons seemed off- he's the most different brother, but he also felt somewhat disconnected from the rest of the cast. He never quite feels like one of their brothers. I love Holt McCallany and he delivers his usual strong supporting performance here. His character is challenging and oftentimes unlikable, and McCallany fully steps into this role. He's a likable guy, but he can play this tough, rigid, awful person so extremely well. Maura Tierney is effective in her role, too. I feel like Tierney is a bit too forgettable most of the time. She works well here, but doesn't quite make the impact she should have. I thought Lily James was good- her performance might be a bit uneven at times, but I generally like her as an actress. I feel like this was a good role for her, allowing her to continue to refine her talent and adding a nice performance in. This movie is all about the cast I mentioned interacting. The film gives them plenty of opportunities to connect, interact, and their exchanges make up the heart of this movie.

There's something inherently interesting about movies about professional wrestling. While it might be a scripted sport, it still requires great physicality. These are true athletes and the movie does a lot to show that side of the sport. I like this movie about real athletes participating in a sport that's not quite authentic, although it requires great physical feats to pull it off. There's something about the reality and unreality of the sport that makes for effective movies about it. The Iron Claw is another success for this subgenre. It might not do the drama thing quite effectively enough to truly land an emotional knockout punch, and it might be a bit too much of a downer to be rewatchable. It's probably a tad too long at 2 hours, 12 minutes. However, this is still one of the more entertaining movies of the year and it offers the cast a true showcase to impress with their talent. I enjoyed this movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Fighting with My Family, Foxcatcher, Martha Marcy May Marlene