If you are a wrestling fan or have spent enough time with one, you have most likely heard the name Von Erich. The Von Erich family is a group forever ingrained into the foundation of modern wrestling. Fritz Von Erich, the family matriarch, played an integral role in developing the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), while brothers David, Kerry and Mike won numerous titles and awards through their years in the league. Their influence culminated in the family induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. However, the Von Erichs were more known for something else–their family curse.
By the time Fritz Von Erich passed, five of the six Von Erich brothers had died, three of these deaths occurring by suicide. The Von Erichs’ tragedy has since acted as a cautionary tale of family influences and the pressures of performative sports for those inside and outside of the wrestling world. Director, Sean Durkin, wanted to capture their story in his movie “The Iron Claw,” titled after the family’s iconic wrestling move.
In the film, Fritz Von Erich, played by Holt McCallany, raises and trains his four sons Kevin, played by Zac Efron, Kerry, played by Jeremy Allen White, David, played by Harris Dickinson, and Mike, played by Stanley Simons, to become the next champions of wrestling. Fritz himself was a wrestler who lost his shot at the title, compelling him to push his children to win the belt for him, no matter the cost to his family.
The first half of the movie has a somewhat campier tone, showcasing the glamorous side of wrestling and how the Von Erich brothers spend time together. The plot mainly focuses on Kevin Von Erich, the second eldest son and golden child, as he attempts to win the National Wrestling Alliance Worlds Heavyweight Championship. All of Dallas, Texas, where the film takes place, knows about Kevin and his brothers. They are regarded as somewhat local heroes. Kevin even meets his future wife at one of his matches, and she acts as a sort of grounding rod to him for the rest of the film, helping him to see past the cruel tactics his father uses against him and his brothers.
It is clear from the beginning that Fritz places his own regrets of not winning the championship onto his children, even going so far as to rank his love for his children based on their chances of winning the title. Throughout the movie, viewers see how Fritz slowly shifts from a strict father into a cruel and domineering force on the brothers. The film shows how he is the main cause of conflict for this family.
The second half of the movie has a very different tone from the first, focusing more on the misfortunes that befall the family after one of the brothers dies from a painkiller overdose.
From mental and physical trauma to death, Kevin and his brothers are plunged further and further into despair. At this point Kevin wants nothing more to do with his father, but he also does not want to let go of his brothers, continuing to work from the sidelines after he no longer wrestles.
The last half hour jumps a few years into the future after Kevin and his wife settled down and have two children. At this point, Kevin is only one of two remaining Von Erich brothers, but this does not last much longer. The film ends with Kevin as the last brother standing. One of Kevin’s last lines shortly, but powerfully expresses the fraternal heartbreak he has endured, as he cries, “I used to be a brother.”
Kevin Von Erich acts as a conduit for the audience, as they experience the events of the story with him. They see the trauma he goes through and how hard he tries to keep his family together, even when no one is helping him. Efron’s performance as Kevin and the audience’s experience makes the ending hit viewers even deeper as they feel his losses on a visceral level, as though they have lost loved ones themselves.
At its core, “The Iron Claw” is a movie about family loyalties and breaking the cycle of family abuse. While the film’s main point is how Fritz is a terrible caretaker, Durkin takes the time to show how these brothers care for one another and help each other grow. He shows the slower points of the family, like going to see Mike perform with his band or getting cheeseburgers and driving around town. The brothers love each other, making the emotional shifts hit even harder as viewers slowly lose them to stress, trauma, addiction and more.
Even though the entire Von Erich story is not portrayed in the film, the curse of the Von Erich family is perfectly encapsulated by its stellar cast. From the wrestling and workout scenes, it is clear that the entire cast had to undergo extensive physical training to portray these massive icons of wrestling. Beyond physical prowess, the range of emotions that the cast effectively portrays should not go unseen. Viewers understand the immense guilt that Kevin Von Erich carries, blaming himself for all the loss that his family feels when all he wants to do is be with his brothers.
In a year brimming with biopics, ranging from greats like “Rustin” and “Blackberry,” to not as greats like “Flamin’ Hot,” it takes a truly impassioned story to surpass the rest of the competitors. “The Iron Claw” is certainly not perfect, with its pacing issues and exposition dumps, but by telling a tragic story and never losing focus on the Von Erich brothers, the film makes up for these issues and then some. If there is any based-on-a-true-story movie you are going to watch this year, make it “The Iron Claw.”
