Look this hit me somewhere personal with both family (my oldest brother committed suicide) and mental issues (I have depression and have been suicidal in the past), along with professional wrestling having a spot in my heart both emotionally and cerebrally since childhood, so on a me level it gets this five even if on an objective level it might be a half or full star lower. Things are truncated to fit the runtime or because it’d be unbelievably sad (there is a whole fifth brother) and it’s idea of what wrestling really is in universe is a bit muddled, but the cast all nail it- especially Efron- with humanity and love, the tragedy hanging over it all in the classical inevitable sense from knowing the story beforehand lends an extra dread to it all, and it was incredibly cathartic. The third act from Kerry’s suicide on left me bawling.

I loved Live That Way Forever at the party being the moment where they were all just happy before it all gradually went wrong, and it made its reprise all the harder hitting. I loved the kids being there for their father, that kind of thing always hits me, parent and child being a two way street and being better than their forebears. How that love the brothers always had, raw and emotional and true, could be passed onto him and his sons free from Fitz and his toxic ideals of masculinity and results. You can break the cycle and there can be a little light in a darkness unfair and that should never have been.

The imagine spot of Kevin with the brothers could’ve been hokey or too sentimental, but they earned it, they stuck the landing by keeping it in key with who Kevin was the whole movie. It’s a desperate, teary hope of his, and that’s what made it work. Maybe the whole movie could be considered that. That beating heart, working to be sensitive to the tragedy and not sensationalist with what they show and what they don’t. This is epitomized by Kerry, showing not his head wound but the blood dripping and coloring the leaves red. The serene landscape of the home they loved for the fact it had each other there colored once again by tragedy. After the credits rolled I just stuck around with the friends I saw it with and confided with them and them in me of similar tragedies and struggles in our life, and that’s powerful to me. That’s something I’ll always hold close and that I’ll think of with this movie, and it’s why I can’t give it anything but a five.

My oh my. What _Sean Durkin_ and of course the rest of the crew did here with such a low budget is truly incredible. I enjoyed _The Iron Claw_ really much. It was an emotional roller coaster. This biopic had a great plot. I wasn't familiar with the _Von Erich_ family as I am not that much familiar with wrestling at all. But I was shook.
The ending in particular was great. [spoiler] The one scene where Kerry woke up in heaven (or somewhere) and got to meet his 3 brothers again was amazing. AMAZING! [/spoiler]
The acting, theme and dialogue were all great. _Holt McCallany_s role (_Fritz Von Erich_) was exeptionally great if you ask me.
Great cinematography, there were some great shots in this one.
Great directing. Not a single bad point. I dont't have anything to criticise except maybe the pacing. It could've been like 20 min shorter.

>==My personal rating:==
-Plot (Story Arc and Plausibility): 8/10
-Attraction (Premise & Entertainment Value): 8/10
-Theme (Identity & Depth): 8/10
-Acting (Characters & Performance): 7.5/10
-Dialogue (Storytelling & Context): 8.5/10
-Cinematography (Visual Language & Lighting, Setting, and Wardrobe): 8/10
-Editing (Pace & Effects): 7/10
-Soundtrack (Sound Design & Film Score): 7/10
-Directing (Vision & Execution): 8/10
-The “It” Factor (One-of-a-Kind & Transcendent): 7.5/10

>**Overall: 8/10 || 77.5/100**

Growing up in Texas, in the 80s, it was hard NOT to know who the Von Erichs were. They wrestling royalty; to see them in public meant bragging rights among your friends. We would fill up on Pizza Hut Pizza, just so we could get the posters. A Von Erich picture on the cover of a wrestling magazine meant that it would be sold out.

And for me - it was a special bond I had with my Grandfather; he had seen Fritz wrestle back in the day, in Canada. (Mom made my grandfather promise NOT to tell me stories about how "bad Fritz was". Especially given how the Father was the Heel, while the boys were Golden). When my grandfather would come to visit every X-mas, we would have a stack of wrestling tapes ready for him to watch. (I would record the episodes on the weekends, then edit out the ads, so it was 45-60 minutes of pure wrestling). As Mom said "It keeps him entertained, he gets his wrestling fix, and he isnt getting in my hair, or upset your father by fixing things around the house".

So, when the opportunity to be part of test audience for the film came up during the summer, I volunteered and was chosen.
It took a few minutes to accept Efron as Kevin (who was my favorite and an idol of mine), and I just didnt see Allen White at Kerry, but man, did they score BIG with Dickinson as David Von Erich. (Later, when we actually saw Kerry on the screen, and how he had many of the same body language and mannerisms as Kerry, all doubt was cast aside). Even knowing what was in store for the family, it still had the gut punch when [spoiler] David dies, Michael commits suicide, and Kerry looses his foot and would commit suicide. I was told Kerry only lost part of his foot- not the whole foot and part of the leg [/Spoiler].

There were a few things that I felt were wrong with the film - the main one being the exclusion of Chris Von Erich from the story line. But, leaving the theater, I felt I had seen next year Oscar buzz worthy film - definite nominations for Efron, for the screenplay, and the directing, and as well as the film overall. (In some ways, I want it to win - so that the Von Erich "curse" is broken).

The best movie about wrestling since the Wrestler and Fighting With My Family. Though it just shows classic matches, family scenes and then more wrestling back and forth throughout.
The performances are solid. With everyone believable as the real life Von Erich family. With the reliable Lily James of course also great as Kevin’s (Zach Effron) girlfriend.
Slight real life spoilers:[spoiler] Wrestling was so in the blood of some of the brothers that they unfortunately took their own lives when they couldn’t wrestle anymore. Or to be with their deceased brothers.[/spoiler]
The film leaves out Chris Von Erich who killed himself since the director felt like having Kerry was sad enough.
Though I don’t think one Von Erich shouldn’t have been totally left out. I do some-what get what the director means.
The film does however at least capture how much these brothers love each other and how close they are. As well as capturing some classic wrestling moments.
The Iron Claw moves along smoothly. It just however expects you to know some things that happened on your own. Like Kevin having to team up with a fake Von Erich played by MJF of AEW. When his brothers were injured badly. It didn’t cover too well.
You do get that maybe having a father (Holt McCallany) who was always pushing them to be the best and that wrestling is all they had. That possibly some of the brothers pushed themselves too hard or felt like failures when they couldn’t do it anymore.
The movie can be sad and depressing but also some-what inspiring. Due to the fact of how strong Kevin is and the fact he has lived on. Possibly because he was the only brother to have a wife and kids to help him get through loss.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-sean-durkins-the-iron-claw-turns-passion-into-obsession/

"The Iron Claw offers a compelling exploration of how strong passion can mutate into an unhealthy obsession and its impact on a legendary family, highly elevated by powerful, committed performances.

Despite some questionable inaccuracies and omissions that punctuate the narrative, Sean Durkin is able to encourage reflection on the delicate balance between success and tragedy in pursuing a family legacy.

Well-executed wrestling sequences bring some entertainment value to the big screen, but the profoundly sad story at the core of this film makes it an overall tough watch."

Rating: B