You Didn’t Take Care of Him.
5 / 5
Directed by Sean Durkin.
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.
The Iron Claw takes a devastating true story and combines it with exceptional performances across the board to create a final product that will repeatedly break your heart and attempt to put it together again.
I was not familiar with the Von Erich family before seeing this but their story is so filled with tragedy that the film ends up holding some details back to make it more plausible. Sean Durkin brings their story to the screen with control and affection. Some moments will stay with me for a long while - specific shots in particular that hit you like a ton of bricks. Durkin masters the rule of "show, don't tell."
A formidable ensemble cast all give career-best performances. Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons bring a dynamic yet heartfelt energy, Lily James and Maura Tierney are an embracing comfort, while Holt McCallany brings ferocious influence. But Zac Efron steals the show in the eye of the Von Erich storm. How his performance missed awards praise escapes me...
The Iron Claw is a film I want to explore, dissect and learn more about; but the truth is I don’t know if I can take it. Powerful and effortless filmmaking.
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