'The Iron Claw' film review: Zac Efron shines in this real-life pro wrestling tragedy

An unnerving undercurrent of dread and a strong ensemble cast powers the tragic throwback biopic 'The Iron Claw' (in theaters Dec. 22).

In short: The true story of the Von Erich wrestling family, who made history in professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany and Lily James star.

Like any great wrestling flick, 'The Iron Claw' focuses on the wrestlers rather than just the wrestling in this cautionary tale of blind ambition. Holt McCallany embodies destructive, single-minded focus as the domineering family patriarch Fritz Von Erich. His dream of a Von Erich holding the world heavyweight championship belt is this story's primary plot driver - a selfish dream that infects his entire clan. At one point, Fritz outright declares "I've waited my whole life to have that belt" - a pang that compels him to push his sons to their breaking points.

For as strong as 'Iron Claw' is in depicting the brutality of pro wrestling, it's most effective as a family drama - especially in its rather sweet relationship between the Von Erich brothers. The film lets the audience see the fraternal love between Kevin, David, Kerry and Mike by just spending time with the brothers enjoying their time together - being brothers. This is the bedrock of what is truly at stake for this family: were it not for the frenzied race for a wrestling championship, the Von Erichs would have been a lovely band of brothers growing old together. While Fritz single-mindedly chases the world heavyweight belt, Zac Efron simply stating that Kevin loves being a brother is so earnest that it's heartbreaking.

While this gap between Fritz's championship dreams and Kevin's love of family defines the film's dramatic conflict, 'The Iron Claw' has a dark cloud hanging over its character - in the form of a supposed family curse that troubles Kevin. And as the tragedies begin to accumulate for the Von Erichs, this curse weighs heavier and heavier on Kevin. It's like an anvil hangs over the head of each of the Von Erichs, with some supernatural force dropping each anvil one after another. In this regard, 'The Iron Claw' feels like a horror thriller, with a curse infecting the Von Erichs and methodically upending their lives.

Efron and McCallany lead a pretty remarkable ensemble cast here, especially critical given that many of the characters have fairly limited screentime, yet, their characters immediately pop. Harris Dickinson exudes a naturally carefree energy as the Von Erich brother supporting his older brother Kevin (Efron), while Jeremy Allen White's Kerry Von Erich is a perfect hybrid of Fritz's laser-like competitive focus and Kevin's brotherly love. Each brother carries their own burden of Fritz's ambition throughout 'The Iron Claw' and each brother shines in a film where it would have been all too easy to just focus on Kevin and Fritz.

Like any film that spans years, 'The Iron Claw' glosses a bit too quickly over some pretty vital plot points. With movie starting in the late '70s and ending in the early '90s, the story moves pretty fast through the Von Erichs lives. To the film's credit, this doesn't compromise its dramatic or character effect much, however, it does mean the film rushes through some plot points almost to the point of blink and you'll miss it.

For example, while wrestling aficionados might know the National Wrestling Alliance (referred to as the NWA throughout 'The Iron Claw') is separate from Fritz Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), casual movie fans might totally miss this detail. And this distinction isn't merely fun fan service for the wrestling crowd - it fundamentally informs Fritz's narrative that NWA has intentionally and deliberately denied Fritz and his family the championship belt that Fritz believes they deserve. One of Fritz's defining characteristics is his victimhood - in his mind, his success has only been held back by other devious forces intent on holding him down. Establishing the distinction between Fritz and anything that he perceives as a threat could only work to better establish Fritz's point of view. When one of the Von Erichs signs with WWF, this plot point is mentioned so quickly that it's easy to miss, yet, this one change drastically affects the WCCW and one of the Von Erich brothers. 'The Iron Claw' could have benefited from some small exposition that could have bolstered later dramatic moments for casual moviegoers and not just cater to wrestling fanatics.

Final verdict: Efron and cast absolutely transformed themselves into the mold of pro wrestling superstars in this tale of blood, sweat and many tears.

Score: 4/5

'The Iron Claw' opens in theaters nationwide on Dec. 22. This sports biopic has a runtime of 130 minutes and is rated R for language, suicide, some sexuality and drug use.