Bruises, bodyslams & unflinching brotherhood bonds.

For all its larger-than-life pageantry, professional wrestling is a deeply - and in many ways, painfully - personal sport. The whole thing is a huge carnival show full of geeks, freaks, and extroverts, no doubt, but deep within this flamboyant shell is a brittle, introverted core.

Some will inevitably deride this and wheel out the age-old accusation of wrestling being fake. However, the fact is, regardless of its predetermined nature, the toll wrestling takes on those involved is enormous and can be clearly seen in the litany of battered and bruised bodies the sport has left in its wake.

The stories of heartbreak, tragedy, and trauma in wrestling have been unnervingly nonstop for many decades now, as the sport continues to leave its indelible mark on the people and the families it touches. None more so than the Von Erichs - at turns one of the most successful and tragic families in all of pro wrestling.

Kings of the intensely competitive 80s professional wrestling scene, the Von Erich brothers - Kevin (Zac Efron), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson), and Mike (Stanley Simons) - make a bid for grappling immortality under the guidance of their manipulative, highly driven father, Fritz (Holt McCallany). Through tragedy and triumph, the brothers strive to become legends, but when Kevin begins to question their livelihood, the Von Erich’s very existence is thrown into doubt.

Key to the success of any biopic is having us caring about its subject, regardless of any prior interest in it or not. Whether it’s wrestling or water polo, the success of any biopic hinges on a film’s ability to have us caring about its subject matter, whether we like it or not.

Against such criteria, The Iron Claw must be considered a success, as it takes the much-maligned world of wrestling and transforms it into absolutely vital viewing. A film that has both everything and nothing to do with professional wrestling, The Iron Claw positively soaks us in the sweat and the tears of the sport, throwing us head-first into the ring to run the ropes and take the bumps, yet never lets this immersion overshadow the fragile, deeply personal nature of the story.

With pro wrestling the canvas upon which the Von Erich’s story plays out, The Iron Claw does a fine job of capturing and recreating the weird and wild world of the sport’s pre-WWE heyday. It’s a level of impeccable authenticity that will undoubtedly please the film’s core fanbase, yet, where The Iron Claw truly shines is in its ability to appeal to wider audiences and to avoid getting bogged down in nerdy wrestling minutia.

To the Von Erichs, wrestling wasn’t just a job, it was life, however, with The Iron Claw, we’re shown so much more than what happens between the ropes. While wrestling is the family’s primary focus, The Iron Claw goes beyond that to tell a tale of brotherly bond in the face of unimaginable tragedy; and it’s through this that the film is able to push past its subject to offer something that will satisfy even those with little interest in it.

Despite much ominous foreboding, such unimaginable tragedy takes its time to make an on-screen appearance, as writer-director Sean Durkin avoids laying the misery on too thick, too early. Before such tragedy rears its ugly head, Durkin makes the wise decision to allow us time with Kevin and his brothers so we may bond with them as they bond with one another.

This groundwork is crucial for the story, not only because it lays down the necessary emotional foundation ahead of the relentless tragedy to come, but it also offers those with no knowledge of wrestling something to latch onto. The pacing and the build are certainly steady at this juncture, yet this slow burn is so beautifully constructed by Durkin that it only deepens the story’s impact further down the line.

As the world of the Von Erichs gradually unfolds before us, the writing and character work in these opening moments are nothing short of astonishing, rapidly turning what could’ve been a baffling viewing experience for the uninitiated into a charming, enthralling, and thoroughly informative dissection of normal family life amidst the most abnormal of circumstances.

The care and attention Sean Durkin displays towards both the subject matter and the characters is quite remarkable and the warmth positively radiates from the screen. Simple yet effective, Durkin’s writing feels as honest and as grounded as the salt-of-the-earth country boys delivering it, allowing for an admirable authenticity throughout and an instant, unshakable bond between us and them.

With a story so extraordinary and inherently dramatic as the Von Erichs’, the temptation to embrace the madness and to dive deep into the melodrama of it all must have been strong, yet everything about Durkin’s approach exudes class, respect, and commendable restraint.

Directed with a simple, low-key, naturalistic flair, The Iron Claw may feel somewhat basic in its approach, yet it never suffers because of it. Whether it’s the in-ring choreography of the various matches that pepper the story or the mechanics of the narrative itself, the film can often feel functional in its execution, yet it’s all so well implemented that it’s easy to look past such minor issues.

Honestly, when you’ve got a story as wild and as relentlessly heart-breaking as this one, there really is no need to dress it up, so despite the overtly straightforward narrative approach, Durkin’s steady style affords the Von Erich tragedy the best opportunity to succeed. And boy, is The Iron Claw’s tale a wild one. With the emotional bond established and the personal stakes laid out, all bets are off as the plot takes one dark twist after another.

As we enter the real meat of the story, the seemingly endless tragedy that besets the family hits like one devastating powerslam after another. Despite the necessity of it all, this unrelenting pile on of emotion can become a lot to process at times, however, Durkin and his cast never once allow it to tip over into tragedy porn.

The cast is, without exception, impeccable. It’s no mean feat to balance the physical demands of such a wrestling-centric narrative with the emotional nuance that comes with the Von Erich story, however, every single member of The Iron Claw’s ensemble brings the precise balance required.

Of the wider family, Lily James as Kevin’s girlfriend then wife, Pam, and Maura Tierney as Von Erich matriarch, Doris, do an exceptional job in their respective supporting roles. Neither have particularly huge parts, yet both lend vital emotional assistance amidst the whirlwind of sweat, tears, and testosterone being whipped up around them.

It’s a much-needed balance within the story and one that really reinforces the film’s emotional impact, especially when it so often threatens to dive face-first down a toxic masculinity rabbit hole. Their presence, however brief, really does help cut through the fog of wayward machismo that steadily envelops the rest of the characters, not least Holt McCallany’s patriarch Fritz Von Erich.

Ruling over his four sons with an iron fist (or, you know, claw), Fritz is a manipulative tyrant of a man, yet the way McCallany portrays him allows for a far more nuanced character study than one might expect. Never less than impressive with anything he’s in, McCallany does a superb job helping craft someone far more than the pure heel he could easily have been.

Absolutely crucial to the success of The Iron Claw and key to keeping the film’s heart beating under their father’s autocratic management, the four Von Erich brothers are everything to the story. All playing their various roles to perfection, Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons work impeccably together, ensuring that we’re always covered emotionally.

At the epicentre of all this, Zac Efron puts in unquestionably the finest performance of his career. As well as the huge physical transformation necessary to turn himself into someone build to handle the rigours of in-ring life, Efron is able to emotionally elbow drop his way into the role in the most devastating manner possible.

It’s hard to think of many actors that could so effortlessly and effectively throw themselves into such a demanding role as this, but Efron makes it all look incredibly easy. Watching on helplessly as his world and his family crumble around him, Efron’s performance is a powerful one physically, yet he never lets the roles intensely visceral nature get the better of him as he remains painfully open emotionally throughout. With White, Dickinson, and Stanley beside him, Efron really does turn what could’ve been an awkwardly cartoonish role into something far deeper and far more impactful than it has any right to be.

An effectively and compassionately told tale of brotherhood, tragedy, and toxic masculinity, The Iron Claw is a powerful top rope elbow drop of raw emotion that hits deep and hits hard. Granted, the intense pile up of tragedy is a lot to handle at times, yet director Sean Durkin never lets it overshadow the story’s heart. Supported by a fantastic ensemble, Zac Efron puts in a career best performance that will have you caught in a vice-like grip whether you know your wrestling or not.