THE IRON CLAW (Film of the Month slot)
Credit: Lionsgate
Zac Efron delivers a career-best performance in this emotionally charged and deeply affecting drama based on the hugely popular Von Erich family. Wrestling in the United States has always been big business, and in the late 70s & 80s especially it enjoyed a particularly successful surge in popularity thanks to the likes of the then WWF (now WWE) showcasing some amazing, larger-than-life characters.
But in the early days, the country was split into wrestling territories, with Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) a driven and dedicated former wrestler turned promotor looking to gain success in the industry under his World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) stable. His four sons follow in the family business including Kevin (Zac Efron), David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White) and Mike (Stanley Simons). But the pressures placed on the family leads to a tragic and cursed narrative that would haunt the Von Erich’s forever. A brilliantly acted and hard-hitting film with an amazing ensemble that will impress both the uninitiated and true wrestling aficionados equally.