This was a tough watch. Not due to any technical issues or poor acting, but the sheer amount of tragedy that can befall a family. The Iron Claw is not a sporting tale that builds you up. It grinds you down and makes you feel things.
Feel the loss, the sadness, and the helplessness. A family throwing their lives and dreams away for something that some of them don’t even believe in. Olympian, painter, musician, none of these things matter when it’s all about bringing a belt home.
The wrestling on show is well presented, from the crunch of the hits to the TV presentation. But it’s not what hits most. The real gut punch is Zac Efron’s career best performance as Kevin Von Erich, simultaneously a muscle-bound athlete and a lost little boy looking for his Dad’s approval. He can see that things aren’t right. But whilst he’s more aware than his brothers to the problems, he’s just as ill-equipped to deal with them.
Between my empathy for having a close-knit sibling group, and the toxic masculinity on display throughout the story, I couldn’t watch this film again. It’s a well-told and powerful story, and I can imagine it’s particularly powerful if you’re more aware of wrestling history. But it is emotionally draining – a credit to the production – so make sure you’re in a good state to see it.
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