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“The Iron Claw” is a dramatization of the Von Erich wrestling family from Texas from the perspective of Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron).
The film starts in black & white with Fritz Von Erich (Hoyt McCallany) in the ring and beating an opponent with his finisher The Iron Claw. After the show we meet his wife Doris (Maura Tierney) and little Kevin & David. Fritz tells them all he’s going to be NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion one day and make them rich.
We fast forward to about 1982/1983 and Kevin is working his way up in WCCW. David (Harris Dickinson) is about to debut. Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) is about to make the 1980 Olympics track & field team. Michael (Stanley Simons) is still in high school and is a musician and clearly not into being an in-ring performer. Fritz lets the boys know his goal is for one of them to be NWA champion but it’s going to take hard work because the NWA power brokers are always holding the Von Erich’s down. He also tells them in which order he loves them (Kerry, David, Kevin, Michael) and that it can always change based on who makes him proudest
Kevin is bothered by how Fritz treats Mike and tries to talk to Doris about it but she brushes him off.
Kevin has a title shot against Harley Race and wins by DQ. It should be his big night as he had a good match and victory. His post match promo doesn’t get off to a good start and David grabs the mic and cuts a great babyface promo on Race firing up the crowd and jumping ahead of Kevin in Fritz’s eyes. After Kevin’s match he meets Pam (Lilly James). They go on a date and she tells him she wants to be a veterinarian and a mom and then asks if he’s ok with a woman like that. He says he is. He just wants to be with his brothers. Have some kids and buy a big house where all his family can live and visit.
We see Kerry doing discus training at college and he goes over to listen to the coaching staff and then heads home. Back at the Von Erich ranch we see them watching President Carter announcing that the USA was boycotting the Olympic Games over Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan (which is a very ironic scene on many levels in 2023). Fritz continues his “the world is against us” attitude and asks Kerry to join the family business.
We get a musical montage that shows them training and how close the four brothers are (we are told about Jack Jr. passing away as a young child but the youngest brother Chris is not included in the film). Michael is in a band and it’s inferred he is responsible for WCCW production and he talks about the camera angles on the show that he felt made the matches better. After Mike tells Doris he his band has a gig playing at the college she forbids him from going. In a fun scene we see the brothers & Pam sneak out Mike. It’s also established that Kerry is already a pretty hard partier. We see him doing cocaine with Gino Hernandez (Nick Nemeth), he has a steroid and pill problem as well.
The Von Erich’s take on The Fabulous Freebirds and win the NWA Six Man Tag Team Championship. After the match Fritz calls out Sam Mushnik for allowing Ric Flair to duck David and not giving him a title shot. This surprises Kevin & David. In the locker room Fritz says the WCCW & NWA are going to push David. He’s going to tour for six months, do a stint in Japan and then fight Flair in a big stadium show in Texas.
Kevin & Pam get married and in a restroom at the venue Kevin finds David throwing up blood. Kevin encourages David to go to a doctor and skip Japan but David says he’s ok. The brothers and Pam do a line dance and we get a freeze frame on David.
Kevin drives home and finds Fritz and the dinning room table and he tells Kevin that David died in his hotel room in Japan from a “torn intestine”. We see what a massive big deal David’s funeral is. Later that night Fritz of course only cares about the business. He tells the boys the family has to win the NWA title and that Kerry will replace David vs Flair and not Kevin. We see Fritz, Kevin & Kerry at the stadium on their way to the ring but we see the match through Doris’s eyes as she watches on television. Kerry beats Flair.
Back at the house Kevin talks with Kerry about how he’s proud he won the belt even though he thought he should get the match. A very drunk Kerry tells Kevin he appreciates it and decides to go out and ride his motorcycle. We don’t see the crash, we see Kevin use crutches to get out of the bed. He hobbles into the kitchen and it’s revealed he’s missing his entire foot from the lower shin down. Kerry re-learns how to wrestle with Kevin using a make shift prosthetic, he is in immense pain.
Mike is now wrestling and he’s tagging with Kevin. He’s not as good in the ring and after taking a back bump he injures his shoulder and needs surgery. After the procedure the doctor comes to talk to Fritz & Kevin to explain there were complications and that Mike is in a coma. After Mike wakes he and Kevin hold a press conference where he says thank you to the fans and says he’ll get back in the ring but it’s pretty clear it’s unlikely Mike will fully recover. We see the toll this takes on Michael trying to heal. He cannot play guitar well anymore nor do regular things let alone “Be David”. He develops a pill and alcohol problem. Cut to a scene of the family looking for Mike on the property and Kevin finds his body. While not specifically stated Michael died of suicide via overdose.
Business in WCCW is down with only Kevin left holding down the fort. Kerry has left for the WWF. Kevin tags with his kayfabe cousin Lance Von Erich (played by Maxwell Jacob Friedman who also is an executive producer on the film in a blink and you’ll miss it cameo). Kevin brings up the idea of selling the company but Fritz will have nothing to do with the idea.
At Christmas, Kerry and a random girlfriend show up at the house. Kerry is a mess, Fritz tells the family that as WWF Intercontinental Champion Kerry holds the second most important title in all of wrestling because Kevin ruined the WCCW title. Kerry presents Fritz with a new gun and asks his Dad to go shoot it for good luck. Fritz refuses and Kerry gets upset. He and his girlfriend as going to Mexico for Christmas instead because he needs rest.
Kevin finally gets a world title opportunity against Ric Flair but loses by DQ when he won’t release the claw. After the match Fritz & Kerry are confused as to why he lost the match. Flair comes into the locker room and gushes over Kevin saying he’d love to wrestle him again and that he wants to go out and buy him a drink. Kevin turns him down.
Kevin is woken up by a distraught Kerry phoning him telling him WWF is not going to bring him back and that he believes his career is over and that he is in constant pain. He says he wants to be with David & Mike again and hangs up. Kevin calls Fritz and tells him to keep an eye on Kevin but Fritz says whatever his issue is it’s between them. The next morning Kevin arrives at the ranch and sees Kerry’s car with the door left open, he goes to the house where the front door is wide open and we hear a gunshot ring out. Kevin finds Kerry’s body next to the gun he gifted Fritz. Fritz shows up to see what was going on and Kevin jumps him and starts choking him yelling that he told Fritz to keep an eye on Kerry but he didn’t. Kevin carries Kerry’s body into the house and places him on the dining room table and holds his hand.
In a fantasy sequence, Kerry walks out of the house and jump up & down with his foot intact. He gets on a small fishing boat and meets David & Mike at the doc. Mike can play guitar and David is wearing the big gold WCW belt. They introduce him to Jack Jr who is the oldest but a toddler.
Kevin decides to sell WCCW to Jerry Jarrett. Pam is pregnant and tending to her garden. The boys Ross & Marshall are playing football and see Kevin watching them and crying. They ask him what’s wrong and he says “well… I used to be a brother but I’m not a brother anymore”. He says he shouldn’t be crying in front of them. The boys tell him it’s ok because everybody cries and that they’ll be his brothers.
The movie ends showing us a family photo telling us Kevin & Pam have been married for over 40 years and that they have a big home where their 4 children and 13 grandchildren are constantly with them just like Kevin had always wanted.
This was a very well done film. The performances are great especially Efron and McCallany. If you’re wanting to see a movie that’s historically accurate with a lot of wrestling and back stage stuff this is not the film for you. The only criticisms I have are that it felt a bit weird knowing about Chris Von Erich but his existence being erased for time and pacing issues. Also, Aaron Dean Eisenberg is god awful as Ric Flair. Every fan could do a better portrayal of The Nature Boy.
It’s a heavy film about a family tragedy and how people can survive them. I would not be surprised if Efron is nominated for acting awards for his performance.
“The Iron Claw” is in theaters now and is rated R (violence, suicide, drug abuse, language and some sexuality).
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