The film is centered around the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers from the 1960s onwards that had enormous success, and popularized the iron claw professional wrestling hold. However, they not only had to battle inside the ring, but fight the “Von Erich curse” outside of it.
The most famous Von Erich family members, and the primary subjects of The Iron Claw, are brothers Kevin, Kerry, David, Mike and Chris, who were raised by their domineering father Fritz/Jack (Mindhunter‘s Holt McCallany) to dominate the local pro wrestling scene of the Dallas area. However, four of the five Von Erich brothers ended up dying young, falling victim to physical and mental illness resulting in accidents, injury and multiple suicides. In the film, the brothers are portrayed by Zac Efron (Kevin), Jeremy Allen White (Kerry), Harris Dickinson (David) and Stanley Simons (Mike). Lily James portrays love interest Pam, who ends up marrying Efron’s Kevin, who feels more or less like the film’s viewpoint character. As of this year, Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son of Fritz Von Erich, currently 66 years of age.
To wrestling fans, the story of the Von Erichs is a well-known tale of tragedy, though it should be noted that a third generation of wrestlers carrying the “Von Erich” name have continued the legacy of in-ring success while avoiding its considerable pitfalls. They include members such as Ross Von Erich, Marshall Von Erich and Lacey Von Erich, who will all hopefully go on to lead long and healthy lives in the orbit of an industry that has always been notorious for breaking people down both mentally and physically.
The Iron Claw is only the third feature film from director Sean Durkin, whose previous efforts Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest both received critical acclaim. You can watch the stirring first trailer below, which only hints at the dark turns this story will take.
