The wrestling Von Erich brothers are (from left): David (Harris Dickinson), Kevin (Zac Efron), Mike (Stanley Simons) and Kerry (Jeremy Allen White). (Photo by Eric Chakeen)
By Richard Ades
When wrestler Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron) tells his future wife how much he cares about his younger brothers, she says he must have “oldest son syndrome.” She’s right, it turns out, as every time one of his sibs succumbs to what Kevin calls the family curse, the pain and concern are etched all over his face.
Curses are imaginary, of course, but it’s hard not to believe in them after watching The Iron Claw. The tale eventually racks up so much tragedy that writer/director Sean Durkin might be accused of melodramatic overkill if he hadn’t based his script on the Von Erichs, a real-life family of wrestlers that won notoriety in the 1980s.
A black-and-white prologue explains the Texas-based dynasty’s origins. Fritz Adkisson (Holt McCallany), who competes under the stage name Von Erich, believes he can make his fortune in the ring if only he commits himself to the task. He’s so convinced of his future success that he surprises wife Doris (Maura Tierney) with a Cadillac that she knows they can’t afford.
Kerry (Jeremy Allen White, left) and David (Harris Dickinson) share a triumphant moment in the ring. (Photo by Brian Roedel)
The film then fast-forwards a couple of decades to find Fritz equally committed to turning his now-grown sons into successful wrestlers. At first, that means only Kevin and second-oldest David (Harris Dickinson), but eventually Fritz wheedles younger brothers Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) and would-be musician Mike (Stanley Simons) into joining the family business.
How? Apparently Fritz relies on parental authority and none-too-subtle appeals to sibling rivalry. In an early scene, he goes so far as to rank his sons in order of preference, telling them their rankings are subject to change depending on their actions. In other words, he’s not exactly in the running for Father of the Year.
Just as future wife Pam (Lily James) predicted, Kevin ends up feeling protective toward his younger brothers when he thinks his dad is treating them like pawns. For the most part, though, he says nothing, either on their behalf or his own, even after Fritz begins granting the others opportunities that had been promised to him.
Pam (Lily James) and her husband, Kevin (Zac Efron) (Photo by Brian Roedel)
In fact, no one says anything, allowing Fritz to push his offspring into situations that prove increasingly dangerous for them and the family as a whole. The result is a slow-motion disaster that would be painful to watch if it weren’t so beautifully acted.
Leading the cast, a bulked-up Efron aces the part of the self-effacing, self-doubting Kevin, while McCallany makes Fritz an understated portrait of modern Machiavellianism. Equally effective are Dickinson, White and Simons as the younger brothers, Tierney as the emotionally distant mother and James as the warm-hearted Pam.
The moral of the story seems to be that wrestling may be a make-believe sport, but the dangers it presents can be all too real—especially when you’re pushed into it by someone guided solely by his own self-interest.
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
The Iron Claw (rated R) opens Dec. 22 in theaters nationwide.
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