The Iron Claw

The true story of the Von Erichs, a family of professional wrestlers who in the 1980s are constantly struck by tragedy. Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White & Harris Dickinson star.

You have to wonder if this would have worked better as a TV mini-series. Five out of the six Von Erich children died by the age of 35, but The Iron Claw only shows four of them - the producers thought it would give the story more power and focus to skip one. Well this is true, but it still doesn’t sit right.

Instead you have a film where things move at a fast pace and, while I don’t think it could have been done better, the screenplay nevertheless struggles to balance its many elements: the business, the kids, their spouses, their careers, their complicated relationship with their parents, the loss of a sibling. Even without any knowledge of the real events, it’s clear that it’s too much to handle and it can feel a bit hollow at times.

There’s a lot to like though. There’s a dignified air to the film that I have to applaud, Durkin avoids emotional exploitation at all costs. The performances are well grounded. The in-period costumes and set designs work great.

Perhaps The Iron Claw’s ability to pull you into the world of the Von Erichs is also a weakness - it makes you wish you could see a fuller picture of the story that’s being told.