The Iron Claw star Zac Efron states that Kevin Von Erich’s reaction to the film is the “most important review to me”

Last Updated on November 21, 2023

The Iron Claw made its debut in Dallas last week when the premiere was held at the Texas Theater. The drama that centers around the tragic story of the wrestling family, the Von Erichs, has been gathering non-stop praise since receiving a standing ovation from the attending crowd. Additionally, early viewers of the film, comprised of both wrestling and non-wrestling fans, would go on social media to share their emotional reactions to the film. JoBlo’s own Travis Hopson glowed that “This is Sean Durkin’s best film yet” and sported “Great, physically and emotionally demanding performances by Efron, White, and the whole cast.” 

However, according to Variety, the film’s star, Zac Efron, feels that only one opinion holds any real weight for him. During a post-screening Q&A, Efron recalled talking with Kevin Von Erich on the night before the film’s premiere, “I was very curious about what he thought of the movie. We went out to the patio, sat forehead to forehead, and talked about life for an hour and a half. And he told me that he did enjoy the movie. I can’t really put into words how that feels. It’s far and away the most important review to me on so many levels. It meant the world, and everything just came full circle.”

The director, Sean Durkin, who gained much acclaim with Martha Marcy May Marlene, is already hearing a lot of Oscar buzz with this new film. When the discussion was coming to its conclusion, Durkin stated about what he hopes audiences will take from the film. “It’s a 40-year-old story. But the issues of masculinity, how we tell our boys to be, what makes a man and those sort of notions – as much as they’re getting better, it’s still a major issue. That was something that was very close to me while making this film.”

The official synopsis for The Iron Claw from A24 reads,
“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.”