The Iron Claw (2023)
"I told you to look out for him!
You didn't take care of him!"
Devastating. Absolutely devastating, the one word I'd used to describe this film. This line and Zac Efron's sheer hurt and agony in delivering it. Tragedy after tragedy, the darkness just following you despite how hard you work to try to run away from it. Brilliant. Artistic. Depressing. And the worst of all? Realistic.
I haven't seen Zac Efron in a serious role I think ever. I've seen him in plenty of comedies growing up and a few years ago, always playing the himbo hunk. It's hard to see him as anything other than Troy Bolton, but this film does a very good job at attempting to make you forget. It's incredible to see Zac Efron as more than just an idiotic himbo, even if he still has shirt off for half of the movie as per usual.
I don't know anything about wrestling or the WWE, let alone the Von Erich family, but boy does this film make me feel like I know everything about them and all of their family drama. One user's review states that the real-life story of the Von Erichs is even more tragic, which after seeing The Iron Claw, I wasn't even sure was possible. The film does a great job at getting you invested in the plot and development of each of the boys, growing attached to each one in their own way. I really appreciated how the film showcased all of the brothers and their individual characterstics, while also depicting their interactions with the other brothers.
Although I don't have brothers and was not a wrestler, I found the characters and their experiences and the overall story of the Von Erichs relatable. I have a younger sibling and suffer from the "Older Sibling Syndrome" that Pam quickly mentions. I would do anything for my younger sibling, so I found Kevin extremely relatable. Their struggles, their bond, sometimes family not being enough, the entire family and their fate is tragically doomed from the start. It's hard to think that the curse wasn't real and just a myth after everything.
Throughout the film I couldn't help but feel bad for Kevin; all he ever wanted was relations with others, whether it was his family, a girlfriend, others in the ring, etc. Kevin himself even acknowledges that he never wanted to be the heavyweight champion, he just loved doing what he loved with his brothers, and it wasn't the wrestling that made it special, but the brothers. Even when he was tag-teaming with another person, he just wanted to be included, in which he was ignored. My heart hurt for him a lot of the film, and it's extremely hard seeing depicted on the screen that no matter how much you love somebody or how hard you try, you can't always save someone.
I didn't grow up with brothers, but I did grow up as an extreme child athlete who struggled with suicidal thoughts for a long time while having a struggling relationship with what was supposed to be a father figure while looking out for my younger sibling. This movie, as different of a tale as it was, was extremely close to home; maybe that's why I appreciated it so much, and the other perspective. I found the depiction of being an athlete that's constantly being pushed, needing to be good enough, needing to prove yourself, struggling with self worth, etc. all extremely realistic. It made me sad for all of the brothers who were pent against each other, especially as someone who had everybody in the same family sport — we were constantly competing against one another "to be the best," which I don't think helped anybody and strained my relationship with my family members.
As much as I love A24 films, it was a breath of fresh air seeing something that wasn't horror and didn't have horror elements. I really liked the sad, tragic, hopeless feeling that The Iron Claw provided, as fucked up as that sounds. It was real, and that's what I enjoyed about it. I'm unsure if I'll ever be able to rewatch it because of how utterly sad it made me, but I'm glad that I took the time to sit down and watch it at all after the film not originally catching my attention due to the wrestling promotions. I really loved the depiction of family and broken family dynamics, while showcasing the struggles that the average family goes through and can relate to.