The Von Erich men (Photo courtesy of Gamereactor UK).
Every time I go to my home town for vacation, I always catch a sports movie with my cinematically-minded bestie. We’ve watched some gems in the past, but we were pleasantly surprised by The Iron Claw, which we thought would be more like an extended SNL skit or WWE performance.
I’m that girl who remembers lines from movies wrong, gets no movie references ever, and forgets every actor’s name before I even remember them. I’m the least likely candidate to write a movie review, but for The Iron Claw, I will try. After all, this movie made me choke up once. And I have cried for roughly three movies in my life, and by cry, I mean a single tear. This movie will move you.
Disclaimer: *Possible Spoiler Alerts* *Trigger Warnings – Suicide, Body Part Loss*
Or maybe no spoilers. I don’t know yet. The trigger warning topics will be discussed.
The Actors You’ve Seen Around But Don’t Remember The Name Of
Everyone knows Zac Efron, but he looks so different that it took me a while to identify him. He’s the second-oldest Von Erich brother (and the oldest alive). He also looks like he has 50 fake tans and more juice than Tropicana. Zac Efron can be a sad wrestler, a singing basketball player, or a serial killer. Truly inspirational.
Holt McCallany, the name no one recognizes, better known as Agent Tench in Mind Hunters, was Daddy Von Erich. McCallany has a talent for playing emotionally detached fathers from the 1960s and 1970s. At least in Mind Hunters, he was redeemable and put in an effort.
Shameless was one of my favorite series ever. It feels like my weirdest dreams are on acid. Lip (Phillip) Gallagher was a low-key but loveable older brother. He is also the older brother of two in The Iron Claw, but the vibe was very, very different.
The Gist Of The Iron Claw
For everyone else who barely read the description, The Iron Claw is not your typical wrestling movie (whatever that is). I tend to flinch when I see wrestling; something about the trauma to every part of the athlete’s body with limited medical attention makes me cringe.
The Iron Claw offers so much more than alarming ring scenes. You also get a heaving portion of family trauma, generational curses, and personal tragedy. It’s not all doom and gloom, but a lot of it is.
Heading into 2024, it feels like a great time for self-reflection. The Iron Claw is the perfect movie for that. Family dynamics, personal boundaries, and, of course, wrestling are all things to reflect on.
The movie ends with what can be perceived as a positive in a sea of adversity. There is always room for regrowth, new opportunities, and personal growth. And wrestling is super cool (maybe) – just not for the Von Erich family.
Downsides
You’ll wish that Zac Efron/Kevin Von Erich finished what he started with his dad (it’ll only make sense when you watch it).
It will be hard to watch how much damage one emotionally problematic parent can create in a family. The consequences of one man’s complexes can break his family.
I also clearly need to look into how “The Iron Claw” makes people bleed, because it’s not clear at all. What a… unique move.
Upsides
The Iron Claw handles so many tough topics in such a sensitive, mindful way. Suicide, body part loss, and other medical tragedies are ever present, especially in the later portion of the movie.
These topics can often be handled with insensitivity and judgement – not The Iron Claw. There is room for so much love and understanding – at least between the brothers.
It’s just terribly unusual how well the creators of this movie displayed tough topics in a truthful and direct way, but not offensively or rudely. It was truly admirable. Kudos to the creators of this movie!
It’s easy to sympathize (mostly) with each member of the Von Erich family, and that’s also not always an easy thing to accomplish. The movie is hard to watch; it’s a little heavy, but it’s so endearing and meaningful that you won’t regret it. Catch it at your local theater now.
The Iron Claw Summary
You learn about the history of one of the most epic wrestling families in the history of the sport. We start with Fritz Von Erich, his wife, and his two young boys. As we jump through history, we meet the Von Erich parents again, along with their four boys who are alive.
We see a man destroy his own life and attempt to ruin the lives of his offspring as well. His emotional mind games and total ineptitude as a parent affect the boys. What is explained as a “generational curse” in their family appears to actually be maladaptive traits that create negative situations. Although the tremendous amount of tragedy in one family was sad.
In the future, keep an eye out for when I write about what The Iron Claw left out here. The Von Erich family appears to be fascinating, and they deserve a far more in-depth article than a movie review. May the family members who have passed rest in peace.
