Direction: Sean Durkin
Country: USA
Having savored Sean Durkin’s previous directorial works - Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) and The Nest (2020) - I eagerly anticipated The Iron Claw, his third feature based on a real story about a family of wrestlers. However, it proved to be a significant disappointment. Despite the weighty events it attempts to chronicle, the film's tone feels surprisingly light, resulting in a dismal execution that casts a shadow over its potential.
This American tragedy, transformed into a ludicrous pastiche, follows the inseparable Von Erich brothers, driven to wrestling stardom by their tyrannical and negligent father. While they left their mark on professional wrestling in the early '80s, the film questions the price paid for success.
The Iron Claw compares to wrestling in the way that it’s all pose and artifice but no brains or integrity. In addition to overlong, the film lacks emotion at every turn, and the acting never impressed - Jeremy Allen White being the exception.
Making matters worse, Durkin’s loss of direction in the sentimental last part of the film sinks the narrative deeper. Regretfully, The Iron Claw emerges as a slippery and inaccurate sports drama, failing to make a lasting impact.
