If you missed the window to break your heart watchingThe Iron Clawin theaters, now’s your chance to have a good old cry at home instead, as the film has dropped on digital. The acclaimed wrestling drama from directorSean Durkintells the story of the famed and tragic Von Erichs, a wrestling dynasty from Texas who experienced the highest of highs, mixed with the most devastating of lows, as the family struggle to live with the unreachable expectations put towards them by the patriarchFritz Von Erich(played byHolt McCallany). A24, the studio behind the film, took something of a gamble by releasing itduring a stacked holiday period against the likes ofWonka,Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, andThe Color Purple,but the film performed well, bringing in $38.1 million at the worldwide box office.
Zac Efronleads the charge in the film’s storyline, portrayingKevin Von Erich. Accompanying him are actorsJeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, andStanley Simons, who take on the roles ofKerry, David,andMike Von Erich, respectively.Lily Jamescompletes the main cast, stepping into the role of Kevin’s wife,Pam AdkissonalongsideMaura Tierneyas Maura, the mother of the boys, while current pro wrestlerMaxwell Jacob Friedman(better known as MJF in All Elite Wrestling) has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role in the film as cousinLance Von Erich).
Keen-eyed wrestling fans will notice big names from the past, includingRic Flair, Michael P.S. Hayes, Harley Race, Bruiser BrodyandThe Sheik, played byAaron Dean Eisenberg, Brady Pierce, Kevin Anton, Cazzey Louis CereghinoandChavo Guerrero Jr.respectively, the latter part of his own wrestling dynasty, the Guerrero family.
‘The Iron Claw’ Is a Hit With Fans and Critics
In a review of the movie, Collider’sLisa Lamanpraised Efron’s “knockout” performance, noting that, “In playing Kevin, Efron must portray a husk of a man who doesn’t realize he’s a husk. Living with a father who forbids any displays of emotion or autonomy, there’s an emptiness in Kevin. He’s a vessel for his dad’s wishes, not an independent human. Efron heartbreakingly captures this quality in starkly realistic terms.”
WithThe Iron Clawnow available on digital, priced at $19.99, fans can cry while the emotionally packed movie from the comfort of their own homes. Stay tuned to Collider for updates.
The Iron Claw
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
