Review: 'The Iron Claw' punches you in the gut if you're a wrestling fan; beats in your heart even if not

The Iron Claw

Release Date in India - 9th February 2024

Torn muscles, bruised bodies, blood spilled - all of it for entertainment but even then, that isn't the biggest loss a professional wrestler and entertainer faces while trying to build a career in the menacing business of pro wrestling, the loss is always much bigger internally and that sucker punch serves as a knockout. 

In the infamously famous world of pro wrestling entertainment, The tale of Von Erich family serves as a token example of how things can go horribly wrong and even then, not everything is a slobber knocker. Having had the chance to see the story of the Von Erich family in the film, The Iron Claw, here's what I thought about it-

The Dark Side of Pro-Wrestling Blended with Brotherhood

There are several instances where you feel that director Sean Durkin has taken this real-life story and not specifically tried to villainise any particular member of the family apart from the father of the four living Von Erich brothers out of a total six, Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany). From not allowing his sons to be vulnerable to not giving them a choice to do anything else apart from wrestling, and most importantly, showing almost no remorse when he starts losing one son after another. It is painstaking to find any redemption for Fritz but there are a few moments, where you find the more human touch which is expertly portrayed by McCallany. 

And then there are the sons, the Von Erich brothers. This is where exactly where The Iron Claw shines the best. Inspite of being competitors to each other and even having the naturally human feeling of jealousy, it is their abundant love, support and tight-knit brotherhood that keeps a house with five conventionally masculine men and the one woman, relatable and engaging too. There is a barrage of instances where you see that owing to their dictator-like father, who never allows them to be emotional, they want to be there for each other, talk to each other and let know, 'I am there for you'. And thus one death after the other hits harder because you know that by the time, this assurance is given, it's already too late and they have suffered too much.

Connects More if You Are a Pro-Wrestling Fan; Teases The Non-Pro Wrestling Fan as Well

When it comes to the technical aspects, The Iron Claw is an absolute winner. Being era specific, it focuses on the more rustic approach to pro wrestling aided by old-school graphics, many wrestlers being barefoot and unpadded as they exchange blows, punches and slams. The likes of Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen-White and Harris Dickinson blend into their respective roles and the precision their characters require with effect and grace. The women, who barely have roles to play do well too, especially Lily James as Kevin's wife, Pam.

There is no denying that The Iron Claw will speak to the people who like, watch and follow pro wrestling umpteen times more than it will to the ones who don't. But owing to the choice of focusing on character traits, the internal struggle, the battle with a train of thoughts and contemplations that goes on in the Voh Erich family - it connects universally. It can be said that the highlights or the mega events of their timeline do feel rushed and tick-boxed at a few instances which leads to the other few situations feeling dragged; but even then it never falters from what it is set out to do at its core.

The Verdict

In the end, The Iron Claw is a film I would be revisiting soon because of my love for pro wrestling, and it is a film that any non prop-wrestling fan should also be revisiting (or visiting in the first place) to see a fascinating real-life story of a family that could have been living legends but instead ended up being late legends, and the lone survivor of their family, Kevin Von Erich, who carries their legacy.

Rating - **** (4/5)