The Iron Claw Movie Review

The Iron Claw (2024)

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Written by: Sean Durkin
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Lily James, Stanley Simons
Rated: R
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Plot
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

Verdict
It's great at making you want to learn more about this family. While we see the effects of of the tragic events that befall the family, this doesn't tell you much about the specific incidents. That's because the focus is on the emotional toll, and it's a direct result of the great editing. It's a bit long for the story we get. It boils down to a domineering father who pushes his children to fulfill his missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams. That's detrimental to his children. While the family thinks they're cursed, the father is the common thread.
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Review
I really like how this cuts scenes together. So many movies focus on that big or tragic event. This movie always cuts around it because the focus is how it affects characters. It avoids exposition and embraces showing and not telling. Even time jumps don't provide a lot of information. I appreciate the movie respects the viewer in that way while asking us to pay attention.

Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) is a wrestler looking to become a star. He's one good match away from fame. The movie cuts to ten or fifteen years later and we wonder if he ever achieved the stardom he sought. We deduce it never happened. Now he's running a league and his children wrestle. We get a feel for their lives while they live at home, work on the family farm, and train in the ring. While eating breakfast, Fritz ranks the order of his favorite children but tells them that order can change. At first I wondered if he was serious, he is. That gives you a great sense of who he is and his presence in his children's lives.

Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White play Kevin, David, Kerry

For Fritz, every fight is big. It's the next step in future stardom. Kevin (Zac Efron) has a big fight against a former champion. During the fight Kevin takes a suplex onto concrete. Concrete is much more dense than the ring. It's clear he's hurting, and you wonder if his opponent knew what he was doing. Kevin later states that was unscripted when his father criticizes him for not getting up quicker. That's Fritz's response to nearly everything. Suck it up, it's part of the game. Despite Kevin winning, Fritz only praises David (Harris Dickinson) for his showmanship during the match.

You feel for the kids. This domineering father doesn't stand for complaints and sees any dissension as excuses. He ignores their complaints. Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) was training for the Olympics discus event. The 1980 Olympics boycott against the Soviets dashes Kerry's hopes. Fritz tells Kerry that he never wanted wrestling for the boys. He only did it himself to pay the bills, but that seems hollow especially as he's pushing wrestling onto Kerry in the same conversation.

Holt McCallany, Stanley Simons, Jeremy Allen White, Zac Efron play Fritz, Mike, Kerry, Kevin

This isn't a wrestling movie, it looks into this famous family and the tragedies they faced. They call it a curse, but a contributing factor is a father that pushes them so hard, pushing them to do what he wants and dismissing his children's thoughts and goals. They ignore pain and end up hurting themselves. Kevin distances himself from his wife and child, afraid the curse may affect them. Fritz is full of excuses for what he did and didn't do. He's the type that's always right even when he's wrong. Fritz is the common theme with the curse. With each scene you like him less.

I really like how this ends. Kevin is watching his children playing, missing his brothers. He begins to cry and his children are concerned. He apologizes for crying and the children tell him there's nothing wrong with crying. The understanding his children have is a commentary on the emotional intelligence Fritz lacked. It's a stark contrast. This mindset of ignore the pain can be cyclical. The only example of  a father Keven has is Fritz. It would be easy for him to mimic Fritz, but it's clear his children will be different. They won't ignore emotional queues. They won't tell their children to suck it up. Fritz always seemed cold, maybe he was just selfish. Either way, the curse won't continue.