Hello, I’m Fred D, Schenectady High’s best film reviewer. Today we will be looking at The Iron Claw, which was released on December 22.
Now, I’m not a sporty person. Never have been, probably never will be. But there is one exception – boxing and wrestling. While I would rather watch every Micheal Bay Transformers movie than ever get in a boxing ring, movies focusing around them always draw my attention. I can barely watch a football game, but I can rewatch the Creed trilogy all day long. I truly have a bias towards boxing and wrestling in film. So when I heard that A24 was making a movie about an 80’s professional wrestling family, I was immediately on board. And thankfully for me, it lived up to my expectations.
The film focuses on the Von Erich brothers, a family of four brothers who all went into the grueling and physically taxing world of professional wrestling due to their strict and cruel father. The movie’s strongest feat is truly making you feel for the brothers. You see them as individuals and the love for each other that keeps them as a tight knit unit.
It also helps that the performances for each brother are incredible. The lead, Kevin Von Erich, is played by Zac Efron who has truly shown himself as more than a handsome leading man and as an amazing dramatic actor. You also have a great supporting cast, but my favorite is easily Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich. Maybe it’s my bias since he plays the lead in my favorite TV show ever, The Bear, but wow, he can act.
In my last review I mentioned how Godzilla Minus One is surprisingly a tearjerker. If Godzilla made you cry, then The Iron Claw will make you sob. Your attachment to the Von Erich brothers leads to several moments where they use it against you. I went with a couple of my friends, and by the end all I heard was sniffling.
At the theater there was a dad who brought his ten year old son, probably thinking he was bringing his son to a fun wrestling movie. Instead he brought his son to a movie focusing on depression and toxic masculinity. We see the downsides of the wrestling world and how it can tear a family apart. It truly makes you feel for wrestlers, which I’ve never had before at this level. So be warned, the movie may look like a fun wrestling movie, but it truly is one of the most emotional films of the year.
Overall, The Iron Claw is another massive win for A24. It blends amazing directing and interesting concepts with a spectacular cast. Who knew a buff Zac Efron would be one of the most sympathetic characters of the year.
Score: 9/10 (Highly recommend)
