Review: 'The Iron Claw' piles a lot of acting talent in an emotionally shallow telling of a tragedy-filled wrestling family drama

It would be glib to call writer-director Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw” a family drama on steroids — though it would be accurate, since the musclebound Von Erich brothers, scions of a Texas pro-wrestling legend in the ‘70s and ’80s, are occasionally shown injecting before entering the squared circle.

The description is apt, metaphorically, because this “inspired by a true story” drama amps up the pain and and emotional isolation of the Von Erichs, constantly driving themselves to the brink of athletic greatness and personal tragedy to please their demanding father, to almost unbelievable levels. 

The shock comes after the movie, when you look up the Von Erichs’ Wikipedia entry and find out things were even worse for the Von Erichs than was shown on screen.

The dad’s real name was Jack Barton Adkisson, but his professional name was Fritz Von Erich, and he — played with sharp menace by Holt McCallany — made his bones on the Texas pro wrestling circuit as a “heel,” a recurring bad guy who delighted in the boos of the crowd as he used his signature move, called The Iron Claw, on an opponent’s face. But Fritz never got his shot at the title belt, so he’s raised his sons to do what he could not.

The oldest living son — Jack Jr., we’re told, died at age 6 — is Kevin Von Erich, played by an impressively beefed-up Zac Efron. He’s the strongest wrestler of his brothers, but not the fastest talker. So when the time comes to choose someone to build up for a title shot, Dad picks the next in line, David (played by Harris Dickinson), who’s a good wrestler but even better at talking trash in the pre-match interview.

Kevin confides in his new girlfriend, Pam (Lily James), that he believes the Von Erichs are living under a curse. That belief is solidified by the events shown in Durkin’s script, which involve two more brothers — Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), a discus thrower headed to the 1980 Olympics until the boycott of Russia is announced, and youngest brother Mike (Stanley Simons), whose talents aren’t in the ring but with a guitar.

Durkin, making only his third feature in 12 years (the first two, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and “The Nest,” are brilliant), finds as much tension at home as on the canvas. The brothers scrap and push each other, each one seeking to outdo each other for Fritz’s approval, which rises and falls on whether they can bring home the belt. Meanwhile, their mother, Doris (Maura Tierney), sternly tries to stay out of the fray — even after tragedies have her worrying about wearing the same black dress to more than one funeral.

There are some powerful performances throughout “The Iron Claw.” Those who haven’t watched Allen in “The Bear” can see his brooding Kerry and understand what the fuss was about. McCallany plays Fritz as a father whose drive for excellence is ripping his family to shreds. And Efron finds the wounded little boy hidden under all those bulging muscles.

Durkin’s style and the strong acting make it even more confounding at the end of “The Iron Claw,” when it’s revealed how basic the story is. It’s like watching a Shakespearean-trained cast perform a Hallmark Christmas romance — so much talent for so little payoff.

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‘The Iron Claw’

★★★

Opens Friday, December 22, in theaters. Rated R for language, suicide, some sexuality and drug use. Running time: 130 minutes.