The Iron Claw

Whilst the ‘sports film’ genre as a whole is rather scattershot in terms of hits and misses, the world of combat sports is usually very reliable for a knockout.

The Iron Claw is the latest masterpiece and might just be in the conversation for the best of them all.

The absolutely devasting true story of the Von Erich brothers, a wrestling dynasty and something so wildly and unbelievably sad it can only be based on fact (you’d never buy into it if it wasn’t) this tale is so tragic that there are huge plot details even missing from the film.

That could be cause for criticism by some, which is totally understandable, but what ensues on screen in this slightly altered tale is a moving, traumatic and brutal look at a ‘cursed’ family which features some staggering performances, not least from Zac Efron who is extremely hard done by not to be in the Oscars conversation.

His physical transformation alone would be worthy of discussion, let alone the heart and soul he invests in a turn enough to convince any sceptics.

Beautifully shot and dotted with moments of pure joy amidst the tragedy, this is another shining light in the film year 2024 (here in the UK at least, the US got this gem last year) and is absolutely essential viewing whether you are a sports fan or not.

A genuine masterpiece.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️