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The Iron Claw
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
2023 · Directed by Sean Durkin · 133 min · Drama · History · Screenplay in the scene database · 18 frames
Tagline
Sons. Brothers. Champions.
Plot
In 1979, World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) is owned by retired professional wrestler Fritz Von Erich, who once dreamed of winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Fritz has five sons with his wife Doris, from oldest to youngest: Jack Jr., who died as a child, Kevin and David, who both wrestle in WCCW, Kerry, an aspiring discus thrower, and Mike, an aspiring musician. Kevin, the current Texas Heavyweight Champion, starts a relationship with a woman named Pam and tells her about the "Von Erich curse" that killed Jack Jr. as a child, supposedly brought on by Fritz changing his last name from Adkisson to his mother's, whose family had suffered constant tragedy.
Kevin wins a non-title match against NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race by disqualification, putting himself in the lead to challenge for the title. However, Fritz is disappointed that Kevin took a long time to get up after taking a vertical suplex directly on concrete, but is delighted by David displaying a natural talent for showmanship while cutting a promo. The boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow dashes Kerry's hopes of competing, and he moves back home, where Fritz also asks him to become a wrestler.
By 1983, Kevin, Kerry and David go over the Fabulous Freebirds to win the Six-Man Tag Team Championship, and Fritz volunteers David over Kevin to work current NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair. Kevin and Pam get married, and he reveals to an ill David at the wedding that he will soon be a father. A week before his match against Flair, David dies of enteritis while touring in Japan. Both Kevin and Kerry volunteer to work Flair in his place, but Fritz lets a coin flip decide, resulting in Kerry being the one to face Flair—going over him and winning the World Heavyweight Championship. Although Fritz is overjoyed, a drunk Kerry goes out for a motorcycle ride and loses his right foot in an accident.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Written by: Sean Durkin
- Cinematography: Mátyás Erdély
- Edited by: Matthew Hannam
- Music: Richard Reed Parry
- Production design: James Price
- Produced by: Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Sean Durkin, Angus Lamont
Cast
- Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich
- Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich
- Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich
- Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich
- Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich
- Maura Tierney as Doris Von Erich
- Lily James as Pam
- Grady Wilson as Young Kevin
- Valentine Newcomer as Young David
- Scott Innes as Ring Announcer
Production
- Country: United Kingdom, United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: House Productions, BBC Film, A24, Access Entertainment
- Budget: $15,900,000
- Box office: $40,130,232
- Themes: sports, 1970s, texas, wrestling, brotherhood, biography, dallas, texas, based on true story, dysfunctional family, family relationships
More by Sean Durkin
On this film
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