Iron Claw

Let me preface this by saying I am not a fan of pro wrestling at all. I actually think it's kind of silly but this film is great regardless

As always A24 delivers another great film. The acting is amazing. The story and dialogue are great. Everything about this film is awesome. It is a bit sad though. But coming in, I knew it was gonna be sad because I knew a little bit about the Von Erics from my dad who loves pro wrestling.

Zac Efron does an amazing job as the lead in this film. The co stars that played his family do a great job as well. Zac Efron and pretty much every major character has an amazing arc and a lot of development. They also have very good chemistry on screen.

Story wise it is a very good story, but very sad at the same time. It does have the benefit of being based off of a truly amazing story of a family of athletes. The dialogue is very well written. The story goes very smoothly.

The production value was good. I've come to expect a good production value when it comes to A24 films. The cinematography isn't as crazy or unique as a normal A24 film but they still do a good job regardless.

Overall, it's worth the time and money you spend.

Just brutal. Could you imagine your family's story being so depressing they had to tone it DOWN for an A24 movie? Just wow. RIP Chris Von Erich, hopefully your story will be told too someday.

There were a lot of pros to this movie. While Zac Efron and Jeremy White knocked it out of the park, it was a little difficult imagining them as 6'2 wrestlers. But hey I was willing to stretch my disbelief. The Tom Sawyer montage was kickass and I'd be lying if I didn't cry my eyes out at the end. Solid acting and definitely an interesting story.

Having said that, when you read the actual Von Erich story it's far more interesting than what the Iron Claw had to offer. It seemed like the studio wanted more of a basic three act drama than the insanely tragic lives the Von Erich's endured. So many lines in the script were so over the top I basically felt like I was being spoon fed by the director. Almost nothing was subtle that it some scenes felt reminiscent of Walk Hard. Some sections of the movie dragged and it seemed like the director just wanted to get from point A to B without really engaging the audience.

Overall a decent flick, well acted and certainly had some good scenes. If only there were a stronger script and better director maybe a less Hollywood Von Erich story could have been told.

I've watched this movie several times now. It blows my mind that this did not get more attention when it was released! I never paid any mind to Zac Efron except for being a pretty face or in comedies but he truly showed his acting capabilities in this movie! His emotions as Kevin really broke my heart! He truly conveyed how it's like to lose a sibling in their 20s (like I have). He was phenomenal in showing how it affects life when it comes to a spouse, work, etc.

It angers me to this day that this movie was overlooked in terms of awards. This is a very well done movie and all the actors did an amazing job!

To think I originally dismissed this movie completely and now, after finally having seeing it, it has become one of the best movies I've seen in some time. The surprises are constant, first I had never heard of of the Von Erich, I didn't know the director and I knew Zac Efron. All details that under normal circumstances would have kept me away but. Oh my goodness! What a wonderful movie, beautifully written and directed and then Zac Efron! A performance of such beauty and of such truth that made me want to see the movie again, immediately. I didn't, but I will. It moved me and shattered me because I believed him. He's not alone, Jeremy Allen White is also superb and the last minutes of the movie found me with tears running down my face. Terrific.

For 2023 it's nice to see a film in theater that is high caliber. The Iron Claw hits on many different levels and tells a story with conviction and care.

The acting was convincing and the size of Zac Efron is flat out impressive (regardless if supplements were involved). In terms of drama, Efron is subtle mostly, but really shines in the final scene of the movie.

The pace is just about perfect. There is no meandering or long drawn out sequences that make you want to check the time. There are a few jumps in years but you don't get confused how much time has passed, keeping the audience engaged and not figuring out timelines.

The movie is based on a true story and has a lot of tragic moments, but there is also hope which helps balance the tone. The Iron Claw is a good movie and I'm sure will be up for an Oscar or two. It's also nice to watch a movie in this day and age that doesn't have any political undertones that it's trying to convey to the audience, just pure storytelling.