The Von Erich family’s history is marred by tragedy. For wrestling fans, the events that befell one of the sport’s most famous dynasties are well known. For the rest of us, there’s writer-director Sean Durkin’s new film, The Iron Claw. Named for the vice-grip face grab that the family’s patriarch, Fritz (Holt McCallany), created during his wrestling career, it follows his sons as they try and fail to fulfill their father’s dreams in the Texas-based organization he runs, World Class Championship Wrestling.
Those sons are played by a who’s who of promising young actors. There’s Harris Dickinson, who shone in last year’s eat-the-rich satire, Triangle of Sadness, as David, the charismatic son who gets the family’s first shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. There’s star of Hulu’s hit, The Bear, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry, the son who nearly escapes his wrestling fate thanks to discus throwing until the U.S. decides to boycott the Moscow Olympics. And then there’s Zac Efron as Kevin, the eldest living brother who—despite his intimidating physique—is a shy, sweet guy who just wants to impress his dad and hang out with his brothers.
Though The Iron Claw is strengthened by its ensemble, Kevin is the film’s protagonist and through him, Efron delivers a career-best performance. Efron has long been defined by his physicality (whether as a dancer in the High School Musical franchise or his training for 2017’s Baywatch) and it’s just part of what makes his performance here so striking. Our first glimpse of Kevin isn’t in the ring, but sleeping, the camera close on his face and his shoulder. Yet even with such a small glimpse of his body, the work he’s put into it is evident from the sinews and veins we can see rippling under his skin as he wakes. As Kevin works out and flings himself and others around the ring, that body and its muscles are testament to both his and Efron’s dedication to their crafts, yet that formidable physique also belies the gentle, sensitive soul beneath.
Indeed, so much of what makes Efron’s performance so pleasing is the way his body, an outward sign of a certain type of hyper-masculinity, contrasts with his thoughtful, emotionally rich performance. When Kevin meets Pam (Lily James) outside one of his matches, he’s so clueless that she has to teach him how to flirt with her. When he’s handed the mic to do a bit of grandstanding after a match to prove to the head honchos at NWA that he’s ready for a title shot, he freezes in stage fright until younger brother David comes to save him. When Mike (Stanley Simons), begs to get burgers after practicing with his garage band, Kevin can’t help but crumble, too affectionate to refuse him.
However, while Efron’s performance stands out for its tenderness, what elevates him to an awards contender is its conflict. Though The Iron Claw is essentially a biopic of a family that may just be cursed, it also examines the idea that maybe the Von Erich’s real curse is the rigid idea of masculinity that wrestling represents for them. Fritz teaches the boys that their only avenue for success, for making him proud, is through wrestling glory. Their lives are dictated by his dreams, his demands, but perhaps most crucially, his emotional cruelty. Everything he does from ranking his sons from most to least favorite to refusing to support Mike’s musical aspirations damages these boys, dooming them to their fates. And while they all struggle with balancing their dreams with Fritz’s, it’s Kevin who is most willing to question what he wants from life, to question whether his father’s refusal to show an ounce of emotional vulnerability is the only way to be a man.
While The Iron Claw takes its drama from real-life events and people, through the caliber of its craft, it elevates that story to something like Greek tragedy. While it takes certain liberties with the Von Erichs’ lives like erasing a brother for brevity and rearranging the timeline of events, the emotional truth it conveys is powerful and totally real. Though Efron is the film’s best shot at awards attention, it’s easily one of the best films of the season and the year.
