The dark side of King Richard.
Very deep and shows how the only way to life a good life is to eradicate any toxic masculinity from your environment

Never ending story of what happens sometimes when parents push too much and enforce their unrealized ambitions on kids.

This one was surprisingly cringeworthy. The direction felt so inconsistent. There were dozens of creative choices that just completely missed the mark. It confounded me. However, the writing left much to be desired as well. The casting for some of the characters seemed completely wrong, and sometimes the acting was over-the-top, but I enjoyed a few of the performances (especially Lily James). Please do not get me started on that portrayal of Ric Flair. :neutral_face::see_no_evil: And one scene toward the end had us in tears from holding back laughter; it was supposed to be a somber moment, but it was just so absurd. I believe there is a story very much worth telling here, but in my opinion, this film did not do it justice. (Why on earth would they choose to exclude the sixth brother from their representation of the family? Seriously, why even make that movie?) I'll be seeking documentaries that will hopefully offer a fuller, more accurate story!

As someone who doesn’t watch a lot of wrestling this was very interesting and tragic story I’ve never heard of. Fantastic performance by Zac Efron. Man was daddy a dick.

All reviews or comments on this film should start with stating what a phenomenal director Sean Durkin is. What he is able to pull out of his actors, the expert lighting and mood, every little detail is top of its class.

I don't know anything about wrestling and this isn't a movie about wrestling, it is a greek tragedy and misery biopic. So many great performances here to call out an individual, but Zac Effron blacks out and turns in an all-time performance here. Absolutely stunning across the board, i can't keep thinking about the entire thing.

Richard Reed Parry absolutely murders the score here too.
I will follow Durkin to the ends of the world after this, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and The Nest.
Harris Dickinson is going to be talked about in best actor circles in the coming years.

Misery porn. Where do I even start?

This whole film is just a descent into misery. From the start, the dad is obviously a bad parent who's completely obsessed with wrestling. We see him force the kids into wrestling, one after another, starting them on the paths that lead to their deaths. The afterlife scene is a cloying attempt at making the ending seem anything other than tragic.

If you're going to subject me to this much misery, you have to make the world feel real and give me a reason to care. As someone who knows nothing about wrestling, a lot of the fights looked ridiculous and not believable. Zac was trying his damnedest to make me care, but the movie around him just did not hold up.

If you're already a fan of the Von Erichs, you'll probably love this movie. Not sure about everyone else though.

I'll say this... 80's music has held up a lot better than 80's fashion

I loved this film, as a true fan of wrestling and someone who was already familiar with the Von Erich's legacy, this film was portrayed perfectly for me. Each member of the cast did their parts perfectly giving an emotional performance that will stick with you for hours after leaving the theater.

The only thing stopping this film from being a 10 was the decision to leave Chris Von Erich out of the film entirely. The way that I see it is that if this was a perfect representation of the legacy of the Von Erich's, than it should include EVERY sibling.

When real life comes off as unbelievable. There is no way one single family could face so much tragedy? Except there is even more that had to be left out as there is only much you can take. Yet the movie holds it together and sells the importance of family. Great performances all around with a subdued highlight performance from Maura Tierney.

Zach Efron shows up with a Kumail misshaped roid head but we are all the better for it.

"Tonight, I walk with my brothers."

Wow.

I went into this blind, not knowing the true story behind it. So, my experience was a Roller Coaster ride of emotions, from shock to being devastated.

This is the best performance I have ever seen from Zac Efron. What the 2017 film Good Time did for Robert Pattinson, is what The Iron Claw does for Efron, and I hope this is a sign of a new and exciting phrase for him. The High School Musical days and the pretty boy image are behind him now.

A24 did this movie dirty this award season. I know awards should not matter, but it would be nice.

What a great story! I've never really been a wrestling fan but I can remember the boom of interest in the 80s an remembered some of the character names. Zac Efron is brilliant in this role and has completely transformed to portray his character. A really enjoyable film with great acting and direction, impressed.

Rated a Connor 10, normal 8.7

This is the biggest surprise of the year for me, and honestly, it may still climb my rankings as time continues to pass. I had not heard anyone talking about it, but it’s such a fantastic movie deserving to be in the conversation. It’s a stunning exploration of toxic masculinity, and even though it's a wrestling movie, it's not really about wrestling. It's about brotherhood, filial responsibility, and the drive for a father's validation. Zac Efron is amazing. I really did not expect this level of range from him. And even though I don't think it's a focal point, I was impressed with some of the cinematography at times. From the opening shot, to the way the sound of the crowd roared all around you (in theaters at least), to the way the camera would focus on one specific point as the impact seeped into you. It has the best ending scene of the year, and Zac Efron deserves trophies for this movie, sorry to all the other Best Actor contenders.

The Iron Claw is a beautifully shot film with an outstanding cast. However, the tragedies portrayed are observed more than they are felt. This story should hit like a strong right hook to the jaw but ends up feeling more like a left-handed head squishy from a large male actor in a thong. The movie is good, but it had the potential to be great.