The Iron Claw (2023)

[Eric Prime]

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[filmlover]

About as heartbreaking and without the "inspirational true sports movie" tropes as one would expect from a film about the tragic Von Erich family of wrestlers, though it's not without some issues that I found hard to overlook. For example, they had a sixth son who I believe doesn't get mentioned at all? I know the filmmakers said they decided to leave him out because the movie already had enough sadness but still felt like an odd exclusion. It also doesn't always find the easiest transitions between the character relationships and the well-executed wrestling scenes either (though the little moments where it attempts to bring the viewer into a behind the scenes look at the world of wrestling are a highlight). And there's a scene in the afterlife once all the tragedies are complete that comes across as an attempt at pulling the audience's heartstrings from a film that avoids such cheap sentimentality otherwise. But it never forgets the humanity of the characters, and that's where it truly succeeds.

 

This is arguably the performance of Zac Efron's career. In a way, it's almost as if his path from Disney Channel heartthrob to Hollywood leading man in trashy studio comedies has all been leading up to this: a remarkable performance unlike anything we've ever seen from him before. He doesn't seem likely to receive an Oscar nomination at this point, but he deserves one. Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson also contribute moving work, and Holt McCallany provides an effective portrayal of a tough father whose steely demeanor ended up having negative consequences across his family. Usually the women in movies like this are sidelined, but refreshingly not so much here, as Lily James makes Kevin's wife feel like a real person while Maura Tierney brings quiet power as a mother who finds herself having to wear the same funeral dress over and over as one untimely tragedy after another hits the family.

 

It's held back from greatness due to the little issues here and there, but the effectiveness of how it treats its characters leaves an impression that'll stay with me for a while.

 

B+

Edited January 2 by filmlover