The Iron Claw (review) – a story as powerful as a body slam

The Iron Claw is showing in cinemas nationwide starting Friday, 9th of February.

Sean Durkin’s feature film career is still relatively young, but he has demonstrated a knack for exploring the complexities behind human relations and psychology. His debut feature, the thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene, was a particularly deft exploration of paranoia and how past trauma can affect one’s life and relations. His newest film, The Iron Claw, also takes a deep dive into the intricacies of family relations, using it to decry toxic masculinity against the backdrop of sports where hyperbolic masculinity is part of the appeal.

Based on true events, The Iron Claw details the legacy and tragedy of the Von Erich family, wrestling legends from Texas. The family patriarch, Fritz (Holt McCallany), was a pro wrestler who believed the NWA robbed him of his chance to become number one. As a result, he pushed each of his sons into wrestling or a similar muscle-reliant sport with a mantra that being the best was the only way to secure happiness and success. Of Fritz’s sons, his eldest, Kevin (Zac Efron), is the most committed to wrestling and Fritz’s ideology. His brothers, Kerry, David and Mike (Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons, respectively), all have varyingly enthusiastic or ambivalent relations to the sport but still find some level of truth in their father’s words. Yet tragedy hits the family repeatedly as they strive for the coveted WWE World Champion belt at any cost.

Wrestling is a popular sport, and one could argue that the performative spectacle of it is just as important as the fights themselves, as explored through films such as the hidden gem Fighting With My Family. The Iron Claw captures what makes the sport appealing to so many; its fluid wide shots showcase the complex, if exaggerated, moves of the fight, contrasting this with intense close-ups that reveal just how much effort even playful brawling can entail. The way Durkin and his team merge the two, by having wide shots slowly but surely zoom into close-ups, only highlights the connection between these initial contrasts. There is a grit to the cinematography and soundtrack that depicts the pressure on these men from all angles and both planes – physically and mentally.

It is in the exploration of the mental and emotional weight of the story that the true power of The Iron Claw, named after Fritz’s signature wrestling move, comes to light. Just as Durkin’s use of zoom-ins connects the spectator and subject, so does it emphasise the disconnect between mind and body. During one particularly gut-wrenching moment, Fritz and his sons are in the ring after a glorious victory when Fritz makes a speech about his family’s future. The closer the camera gets to the family, the more we see how Fritz’s jubilation is at odds with the reactions of each son, who, despite vocalising shared joy, seem at different stages of confusion, frustration or trepidation. Such is the chokehold a domineering father can have over sons who simply want to make him proud.

Throughout the narrative, Kevin confides in his significant other, Pam (Lily James), regarding his family and profession. He discusses the Von Erich curse, a vague belief about Von Erich men slowly but surely losing pieces of themselves until nothing is left, resulting in tragedy. While this may be a superstition, it effectively encompasses Kevin’s insecurities and the heart of the film’s lambasting of toxic masculinity, particularly in Fritz’s demanding parenting and how it chips away at the brothers’ identities. They may have unrivalled physiques, but on the inside, they are still boys vying for their father’s love, which is conditional on the basis that they perform their duties as per his wishes. Just as wrestling can be performative, so too are the film’s family dynamics, as love and nurture are traded in for loyalty and prowess, attributes that erode everything that makes the brothers themselves, all in the pursuit of an imaginary image of ultimate masculinity.

Tying all the drama together is a compelling collective of characters brought to life by incredible performances. The brothers all make for idiosyncratic men to whom each actor brings delicate humanity despite their buff exteriors. Even though this is Kevin’s story, a film could’ve been made about any of the brothers. Maybe it’s because, for so long, he was synonymous with the High School Musical films that it’s easy to underestimate Zac Efron, despite the consistently strong, dedicated, and occasionally thought-provoking performances he has given us since his Disney Channel days. The Iron Claw might be his best work yet. His ability to subdue emotion and give the outward appearance of toughness while revealing a glint of vulnerability in his eyes or expressions is truly riveting. Meanwhile, McCallany’s demonstration of apathy, stubbornness, and religious and parental indoctrination turns Fritz, an already brilliant antagonist, into a towering force of intimidating brutishness – perhaps the quintessential embodiment of everything wrong with toxic masculinity and its effects on male mental health.

Occasionally, The Iron Claw threatens to become overstuffed with its extensive assortment of characters – one brother, Chris, even got cut from the story because of this. Its middle act also lags in pace as various tragedies befall the family one after another. But, at its core, this film is about forging one’s own path out of the shadow of another’s demands. Its intense visuals, quiet empathy, and phenomenal performances all result in a gripping lambasting of pressure in favour of individuality. Whether these portrayals are accurate to the real people being depicted is up for debate, and this reviewer, with no expertise in wrestling, cannot add to this discussion. But it makes for captivating filmmaking and a story as powerful as a body slam.