Directed by: Sean Durkin
Starring: Zac Efron, Lily James, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney, Jeremy Allen White, Stanley Simons
The Iron Claw tells the sad story of the legendary Von Erich wrestling family in which four of the five sons of Fritz and Doris Von Erich died within a ten-year period (three of which by suicide). The youngest son, Chris, is not even mentioned in The Iron Claw, but he was dead in his early 20's nonetheless. Why did this happen? The movie suggests Fritz's demands that his sons follow him into the wrestling business became too much for David (Dickinson), Kerry (White), and Mike (Simons), all of whom battled health and/or drug and alcohol issues before their untimely passing. And then there's Jack Jr. who died when he was five.
Those going in to The Iron Claw cold will not be able to pick out the chronological discrepancies on display or the fact that Jeremy Allen White is a half-foot shorter than Kerry was. The oldest living brother Kevin (Efron) looks like The Hulk sans green makeup. If you're coming to The Iron Claw for factual accuracy, you won't get it. But The Iron Claw still vibrates with effective performances and moments of raw power which work and make it worthwhile.
Fritz (McCallany) is an upper mid-carder in the 1960's National Wrestling Alliance who never quite breaks into the top tier of wrestling megastars. He founded World Class Championship Wrestling in his home state of Texas and by the early 1980's Kevin and David are budding stars in the territory. Kevin has the look and the skill, but his microphone work needs help, while David has the gift of gab which makes him next of line for an NWA world title shot. Kevin loves hanging with his brothers, including younger Mike who would rather be a musician than a wrestler, but after David's passing in Japan in 1984, Mike is pushed into the business with tragic results.
Fritz is the Little-League dad gone berserk. He wants the NWA world title in his territory so badly he is willing to wreck his sons' lives to do it. Part of his relentless pushing of his children is due to his own career shortcomings. Kevin believes since he was the most loyal to his father that he should be the Von Erich to finally bring home the gold. Instead, Kerry is given the shot and ultimately defeats Ric Flair for the belt at the first David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions. According to the movie, Kerry takes the ill-fated motorcycle ride which resulted in an accident that cost him his right foot on the very day he won the NWA World Championship. In reality, this occurred two years after he quickly lost the title back to Flair weeks after winning it, mostly because Kerry was already deemed an unreliable champion due to his drug addiction which had already taken hold long before losing his foot.
Kevin finds a possibility of a life outside of wrestling when he meets Pam (James), a fan with whom he falls in love and marries. Pam provides the support Kevin needs especially in dealing with his brothers' deaths. Fritz tells his sons not to cry, which causes further distress within the surviving family members. I don't know for sure if Fritz was the monster in which The Iron Claw portrays him, but McCallany's performance is so effectively scary not because Fritz is necessarily physically abusive, but because he has the potential to be. He sure was emotionally abusive and manipulative, with Doris not having the heart to get involved.
The Iron Claw may not be factually accurate, but the moments of power pull it through because it's difficult not to feel pity for Kevin, the only brother who is still living and in some ways has thrived despite losing most of his family. "I used to be a brother and now I'm not a brother anymore," he tells his children, and one can't help but sympathize. These are the scenes in which The Iron Claw makes its mark.
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