The Iron Claw Blu Ray Review (A24 / Lionsgate)
The Iron Claw is a 2023 wrestling drama written, produced, and directed by Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Dead Ringers, The Nest, and Southcliffe). It’s based on the true story of the wrestling family known as The Von Erichs. It was produced by professional wrestler MJF (AEW, House of Hardcore, CZW, and MLW). The budget was $15 million and it grossed $43 million worldwide at the box office. In 1979, the World Class Championship Wrestling company (WCCW) is owned by retired professional wrestler Fritz Von Erich (played by: Holt McCallany from Nightmare Alley, Wrath of Man, Greenland, Creepshow 2, Alien 3, The Losers, and Fight Club). The former brawler had dreams of winning the prized NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship but it never happened for him during his career. Fritz has a big family that includes five sons with his wife Doris (played by: Maura Tierney from E.R., Liar Liar, Primal Fear, Forces of Nature, Insomnia, and Rescue Me). His first born Jack Jr. passed away as a child. His other sons Kevin (played by: Zac Efron from Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Firestarter, Neighbors 1/2, Dirty Grandpa, That Awkward Moment, The Paper Boy, and Baywatch) and David (played by: Harris Dickinson from Don’t Look at the Demon, Where the Crawldads Sing, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and Trust) both wrestle for him in WCCW. Kerry (played by: Jeremy Allen White from The Bear, Shameless, The Birthday Cake, After Everything, Twelve, and Rob the Mob) is highly acclaimed athlete that’s about to be in the Olympics. The youngest Mike (played by: Stanley Simons from Angelfish, Model Boy, and Superior) is a local musician. Kevin is the Texas Heavyweight Champion. He meets fan Pam (played by: Lily James from Pam and Tommy, Cinderella, Baby Driver, Darkest Hour, Wrath of the Titans, and Burnt) after a show and they end up being in a relationship. 
He tells her about the “Von Erich curse” that killed Jack Jr. as a child. They think it’s because of Fritz changing his last name from Adkisson to his mother’s, whose family had suffered constant tragedy. Kevin beats NWA Champion Harley Race (played by: Kevin Anton from Dead Ringers) by disqualification. Fritz is disappointed that Kevin struggled recovering from the brutal match and that he had to be saved by his brother David for the promo. The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott ruins Kerry’s big chances of competition and he moves back home. Fritz tries to convince him to join the family business. In 1983, Kevin, Kerry and David defeat the Fabulous Freebirds (played by: Brady Pierce from AEW, Thrillbilly Silas from NWA, and Devin Imbraguglio) to win the Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Fritz picks David for the next title shot and he decides to skip the oldest Kevin to fight champ Ric Flair (played by: Aaron Dean Eisenberg from The Deuce). Kevin and Pam get married soon after that, and Kevin reveals to a sick David that he’s about to have a kid. Tragedy strikes each brother and it makes it harder for the rest of the family each time something horrible happens because of the curse. Kevin is passed up again by his younger brother for a World Heavyweight match and this time it’s the popular Kerry. Kerry ends up finally bringing the desired NWA gold to the Von Erich family. Kevin continues to be in the shadows of his acclaimed brothers. As time goes on, WCCW struggles to bring in a fanbase to their events so the family keeps getting offers from a rival promoter. Kevin eventually caves in to support his own family so he sells WCCW to Jerry Jarrett (played by: Terry J. Nelson from Interview with the Vampire) despite his father’s protests. The Von Erichs get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. They may have went through hell but the wrestling family will never be forgotten in the business where they sacrificed everything for!!!! 
The Iron Claw might be the greatest wrestling film ever made. It tells the devastating story of the iconic Von Erich family. It shows how important family is and that curses might be real especially after seeing what the Von Erichs suffered. This A24 production is heartbreaking, you go through the feels as all these disastrous events happen to the same people. Director Sean Durkin takes all this pain and turns it into something that grabs all your attention with every powerful scene. The script is top notch, there’s so much material here when it comes to the true story that it could have easily been a miniseries but Durkin makes it work for a full length feature. Every important moment is captured and it doesn’t feel rushed at all. The soundtrack is so good for The Iron Claw and all the music takes you back to the time where all this went down in raal life. Zac Efron can be hit or miss when it comes to acting to be honest but he proved something to me here. He has what it takes to a last a long time in the film business with this amazing performance as Kevin. He got snubbed at the Oscars and he deserved to be nominated for The Iron Claw. I’ve personally never heard of actor Harris Dickinson before this role. He came out of nowhere and he stole the show here because I wasn’t expecting anything from him. He had so much personality and swag when it came to the David character. He was the brother that never pushed to be the star but his talents couldn’t be ignored. The promo scenes were my favorite from Harris. Growing up, Kerry Von Erich was always my favorite brother and wrestler so I was very excited when Jeremy Allen White was announced for the role. Jeremy has killed it when it comes to television for stuff like Shameless and The Bear. He hasn’t really gotten that many opportunities when it comes to playing characters in actual movies so he clawed his way into the role of popular wrestler Kerry “The Texas Tornado” Von Erich also known as The Modern Warrior. Jeremy Allen White is the ambitious brother that’s ready for his chance in the spotlight. Actor Stanley Simons probably has the most underrated character and performance here. Mike is the youngest and smaller brother that’s never been cut out for the family business. He enjoys making his music but he’s forced to wrestle once the Von Erichs need someone to join the team after so many changes. He’s just built like the rest of his brothers and he can’t stay healthy while trying to compete. All of the actors mentioned above have great chemistry as the Von Erich brothers. Veteran actor Holt McCallany plays the ruthless leader of the family Fritz. He’s very tough, cold, and domineering when it comes to everyone. The whole tribe just wants to impress and honor him. He cares about them but doesn’t know how to show them. It’s a brilliant performance that walks on the thin line on being the villain. The rest of the cast includes Maura Tierney, Michael Harney, and Lily James that boosts the quality of the production. It also features real life wrestlers Chavo Guerrero Jr., MJF, Ryan “The Hollywood Hunk” Nemeth, Brady Pierce, and Thrillbilly Silas. I thought it was awesome to see cinematic versions of wrestling legends: Ric Flair, The Fabulous Freebirds, Bruiser Brody, Harley Race, Gino Hernandez, and The Sheik in The Iron Claw. This one has so much heart and it definitely makes you feel it. This feature has some of the best wrestling scenes that I’ve ever seen filmed. It all feels legit and it brings you back to those memories. I really hope that this inspires more filmmakers and writers to explore the wrestling world when it comes to movies or television because there’s so many interesting stories out there. This is the real dark side of the ring. If you haven’t seen it yet, it needs to happen ASAP! This was one of best features from last year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!! 
Let’s discuss this high definition presentation from A24 and Lionsgate. This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer looks beautiful on blu ray, I’m very surprised that it didn’t get a 4K release here in the states. The locations, production design, and cinematography really shine in HD. This English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds fantastic. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the wrestling action is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. This awesome soundtrack is highlight when it comes to the audio. It has English SDH and Spanish subtitles. “Brotherhood is Forever: Making The Iron Claw” is almost 30 minutes. It features interviews with most of the cast, crew, and Kevin Von Erich. They discuss the origins and inspirations for the biopic. The director brings up being a huge wrestling fan. They go over the characters and the production. They chat their prep work getting ready for it. The real life Von Erich gives his thoughts on the project. “Cast and Crew Q & A” is almost 21 minutes. It features Zac Efron, Maura Tierney, Jeremy Allen White, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, Kevin Von Erich and Sean Durkin at the LA premiere. Lots of great information is shared here. It’s nice to see the interaction with everyone on this. It has a theatrical “Trailer”. It comes with a slipcover, a digital code, and a DVD copy of the release. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!! 
