The Iron Claw

"As children my brother and I were fans of the Von Erich wrestling family. This is definitely a Texas thing. This was a somewhat interesting look at the tragic family. "

"Centered around the Von Erich family, who were prominent figures in the world of pro wrestling, this film delves into their personal & professional lives, highlighting their impact on the wrestling industry & the #tragic events that befell the family. With a gripping storyline, intense #action sequences, and memorable characters, this film is a blend of #suspense, #drama, and #intrigue that will keep you engaged until the very end! 🌟7.8/10🌟 ▪️The entire cast was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the nostalgic #1970s-#1980s aesthetic & music choices — Zac Efron even looked like the Incredible Hulk in one of the early scenes! 💪💥 He & Jeremy Allen White both put on their best #Texas accents! 🤠 "

"WARNING!!! ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ (This review may contain spoilers!!!) I was a huge fan of wrestling, back when I was a kid, so I'm very familiar with the Von Erich family and the tragic story of loss that they endured. Although this film is a quality production and all the actors do a fine job in their respective roles, I feel like this movie does a poor job of telling the ENTIRE story. To pick and choose what to keep in the story, when it is already public knowledge, is insulting to their family legacy. They actually omitted one brother, Chris Von Erich, and his suicide from the film entirely. They also only give tiny clues that Kerry had his foot amputated and wore a prosthesis after his motorcycle accident. These are things that the average person shouldn't be expected to know and are fairly important to the story. Holt McCallany was a great choice to play Fritz Von Erich, and so was Zach Efron in the lead role of Kevin. Although, Jeremy Allen White is an excellent actor, I think he is too small for the role of Kerry (who was actually one of the biggest Von Erichs), but I can forgive that as I know casting can be difficult when trying to stay true to life. Personally, I was a little disappointed overall with how they chose to tell the story and to keep some of the facts muted. So, high marks for acting and production value but points off for storytelling. 6.5/10"

"I wasn’t excited to watch this because if you’ve seen one sports docudrama…But director Sean Durkin, who I’ve never heard of but will definitely be checking out his older stuff, masterfully directs this crushingly tragic tale of this real life pro wrestling family. They nail the the 80’s aesthetic, the soundtrack is awesome (Tom Sawyer!), and the performances from every single actor is blow you away good. Efron’s transformation is shocking. You don’t have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this. Now, it’s not real fun to watch this father “from another era” abuse his kids to the brink. But if you’re up for a true story tearjerker that’ll wreck you for the night, this is the one. "

" The best movie about wrestling since the Wrestler and Fighting With My Family. Though it just shows classic matches, family scenes and then more wrestling back and forth throughout. The performances are solid. With everyone believable as the real life Von Erich family. With the reliable Lily James of course also great as Kevin’s (Zach Effron) girlfriend. Slight real life spoilers: Wrestling was so in the blood of some of the brothers that they unfortunately took their own lives when they couldn’t wrestle anymore. Or to be with their deceased brothers. The film leaves out Chris Von Erich who killed himself since the director felt like having Kerry was sad enough. Though I don’t think one Von Erich shouldn’t have been totally left out. I do some-what get what the director means. The film does however at least capture how much these brothers love each other and how close they are. As well as capturing some classic wrestling moments. The Iron Claw moves along smoothly. It just however expects you to know some things that happened on your own. Like Kevin having to team up with a fake Von Erich played by MJF of AEW. When his brothers were injured badly. It didn’t cover too well. You do get that maybe having a father (Holt McCallany) who was always pushing them to be the best and that wrestling is all they had. That possibly some of the brothers pushed themselves too hard or felt like failures when they couldn’t do it anymore."

"Not me screaming “Whooooo” at the tv screen when Rick Flair popped up. Childhood memories "

"Even it sports isn't your thing especially the sport of wrestling this tells a beautiful tragic story. The performances are outstanding and I definitely cried. I think this is a must watch. "

"Very unexpected. Very emotional movie. Acting was superb. "

"It’s a good movie, but it’s not one of my favorites. "

"A24 continues taking chances and producing beautiful cinema in the process. My wrestling obsession came later with Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and Andre the Giant but this took me back even though it was before my time. I did know about the Von Erich family story but that didn’t soften the constant gut shots taken while viewing The Iron Claw. Great performances all around in this heartbreaking film."