Ring the bell: The Iron Claw is now on streaming.
The well-received film was a hit with audiences and critics last year and instantly went in the conversation for the title of the best wrestling movie ever made. It’s inspired by the true story of the Von Erichs, the family of wrestlers who ruled the Texas wrestling scene in the 1980s, thanks to the talent and charisma of brothers Kevin, Kerry, and David. They’re played in the film by Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson, respectively.
While the Von Erichs became huge stars, they were pushed so hard by their father Fritz (Holt McCallany) that the pressure to succeed became to great for the brothers to bear and the family was struck by one tragedy after another. (Be warned: This is maybe not the must upbeat film to watch on streaming on a Friday night after a long week of work.)
READ MORE: The Iron Claw: What’s Fact and What’s Fiction?
That doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching though. In my positive review of the film here at ScreenCrush, I wrote…
The Iron Claw works best when it slows down, and focuses on the relationships between the characters and the details of life in a pro wrestling family … [Director Sean] Durkin’s wrestling fandom comes through very clearly in The Iron Claw. The scripted nature of the matches is mentioned in just one scene; otherwise, the handheld camera work, and physicality of the actors strongly implies that the wrestlers are really beating the crap out of each other. That’s a surprising choice in 2023, but it speaks to The Iron Claw’s true subject: The brutal toll and actual scars left behind on the people who help create this “fake” world that entertains millions of people.
The Iron Claw is streaming now on Max. If you want to go watch some vintage Von Erichs matches to compare Efron and Allen to the really Kevin and Kerry, you’ll have to go over to Peacock; the family’s television series, World Class Championship Wrestling, is available there as part of the WWE library.
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