The Iron Claw Review: Zac Efron's Career-Defining Performance Triumphs in One of the Year's Best

The modern golden age of professional wrestling is heading to Hollywood. Back in Summer 2022, reports circulated that director Sean Durkin was developing a biopic centered around the Von Erichs, one of the squared circle's most famous (and infamous) families. Named after the Von Erichs' signature submission maneuver, The Iron Claw landed top talent like Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White while also working with legendary real-life wrestlers like Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Mix in fan-favorite production company A24, and The Iron Claw assembled all the ingredients for a recipe for success, and, boy, did chef Durkin cook a masterpiece.

The Iron Claw's narrative passes every test. Emotion. Stakes. Immersion. From the opening scene until credits roll, audiences of both diehard wrestling fandom and casual film appreciators are left on the edge of their seats. Considering the subject matter of this particular biopic is relatively niche, as it chronicles the many highs and lows of the decades-spanning wrestling dynasty, many will go into The Iron Claw with no knowledge of the Von Erichs and how their tragic tale unfolds. For those who have the opportunity to go in blind, take it. This film still strikes to the core of those who are familiar with the history, but it will operate on an indescribable level for the ignorant.

The best wrestling storylines are the ones that take legitimate events from wrestlers' personal lives and evolve them into exaggerated beats for an in-ring feud. Much of this is achieved on wrestling programming today through a hybrid of talking head-style mini-documentaries that bleed directly into a culminating match. The Iron Claw has the luxury of playing with both without having the "documentary" side play like a traditional documentary. Audiences are able to travel with the Von Erichs outside the ring and experience their lives through that firsthand perspective. That dramatized flavor enhances it even further, as it makes The Iron Claw story feel like something the audience is a part of themselves, rather than simply being told it.

The biggest pieces of The Iron Claw puzzle that can be championed without tiptoeing into spoiler territory are the performances. The fall movie season has had a couple of award-season disruptors thus far, and Zac Efron proves to be one of the biggest, both figuratively and literally. Efron aces the "immersion" test as Kevin Von Erich in the sense that after no more than five minutes of screen time, audiences will be so locked into his performance that the movie star behind the character is nowhere to be seen. The magic of Kevin Von Erich comes in the subtleties. For the larger-than-life career he chose inside the squared circle, Kevin is a relatively reserved person in his personal life. He's shy, a tad awkward, doesn't comprehend social cues. This, plus his unwavering love for his family, makes Kevin a fiercely strong protagonist that audiences will live vicariously through, something that is rarely achieved to this level for a leading role. The Iron Claw is Efron's career-defining performance, and don't be surprised if The Academy shows him justified love for it come the new year.

That aforementioned familial love is a multi-way street, which fortunately has Efron's on-screen brothers also turning in career-highlight performances. Both Jeremy Allen White's Kerry Von Erich and Harris Dickinson's David Von Erich shine bright, but the added spotlight goes to Stanley Simons's Mike Von Erich. 

It's established early on that the Von Erich boys are a diverse bunch when it comes to their mindsets, and Mike is easily the most distinct. In a family of athletes, Mike is the musician, and a talented one at that. Regardless, Mike often finds himself alone in a crowded room, chasing a passion that his family, specifically his father, does not understand. Simons has the least amount of screen time among his brotherly castmates but maximizes his minutes better than anyone. Whether it be a two-second facial reaction frame to a quick comment or his heartbreaking monologue at a press conference later in the film, Simons makes sure audiences leave The Iron Claw with his character in mind.

While these performances will be praised for their intimate moments, flowers (or streamers for those Ring of Honor fans) have to be dished out for the in-ring action. Every match captures that ever-elusive hybrid energy of watching a football game and a Broadway musical simultaneously. Efron and company's wrestling training has been well-documented throughout The Iron Claw production process, and the polished final result is on full display in the feature film. Celebrities have been stepping into the ring for decades on television, and more often than not their attempts at hitting a maneuver shatter the scripted sport's illusion. Any celebrity wrestling woes are completely absent in The Iron Claw, as every actor who works a match looks like they've been training for years. Efron especially hits a mean cross-body while White has one of the better hot tags put to screen.

"Best" will be a superlative that accompanies this film for years. The Iron Claw is Zac Efron's best performance. The Iron Claw is the best professional wrestling biopic. There is an argument to be made that The Iron Claw is A24's best project. In a media age dominated by quick hits and short-term trending topics, The Iron Claw is one of those rare movies that has a tangible feeling of long-term legs that will stretch far beyond its theatrical run. That being said, The Iron Claw is priority theater viewing, as this is a film viewers will want to experience with a full audience. It's impossible to tell which motion-pictures will stand the test of time, but The Iron Claw has all the makings of a movie that sits firmly on those "100 essential films" lists in the years to come.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Iron Claw hits theaters on Friday, December 22nd.