‘Brutal’ film based on harrowing true story finally comes to Netflix

A movie about a real-life wrestling family that left its star Zac Efron ‘messed up’ is about to be released on Netflix.

First hitting screens in 2023, The Iron Claw told the story of the Von Erichs, a family of professional wrestlers who were ‘cursed’ by tragedy.

Despite the sons of wrestling company owner Fritz Von Erich achieving great success’, the family also faced many struggles.

The synopsis for the film teased this of its plot: ‘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.’

Mindhunter star Holt McCallany played the family’s patriarch, while Zac Efron played Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White was Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson was David Von Erich, and Stanley Simons played the youngest son, Mike Von Erich.

Produced on a $15.9million (£11.9million) budget, the film ended up grossing over $45million (£33.7million).

It was a hit with critics and audiences alike, with many praising Efron’s performance and the ‘brutal’ retelling of the grief that enveloped the Von Erich’s.

‘Zac Efron really gives it his all in this heartbreaking wrestling film about the Von Erich family. The biopic details the complexity of the family,’ Screen Rant wrote in its review.

‘As a wrenching American heartland saga, The Iron Claw is certainly compelling, and to anyone unfamiliar with the Von Erichs’ history, each jolt of fresh anguish delivered to the family will be startling,’ The Hollywood Reporter shared.

‘It’s a messy movie about messy lives, occasionally in ways you wish it wasn’t. But The Iron Claw is also a story of redemption… That’s partially why Efron’s performance is the one that sticks with you,’ Rolling Stone added.

Meanwhile, viewers called it a ‘deeply emotional story about brotherhood and loss’, adding you didn’t need to be a wrestling fan to enjoy the movie.

For fans of the movie – or those yet to have watched – it will soon be added to Netflix, with subscribers able to tune in from August 9.

Some may remember photos of the staggering transformation Efron, who found fame as a teenager starring in High School Musical, undertook for this project.

He faced a gruelling diet and training schedule, gaining around 15lbs in pure muscle.

Speaking to Metro at the time, Durkin was asked whether he felt guilt over, or sympathy for, what his actors were doing to get up to shape.

‘I didn’t, because I respected what they did but I also left it to them, to go on their own journeys for whatever they wanted to do physically to get into the shape they felt was right for the character,’ he said.

‘We never talked about getting to a certain size or anything like that, I didn’t want to put any sort of framework on [what] they should be hitting – so, they did the work they wanted to do, and obviously, signing up for a role like this, that’s a part of it.

‘But I appreciated every second of it, and I saw the effort and the hard work, we’re all working to get to the same place and the same page.’

Efron later revealed he needed to undergo stem cell therapy to treat a back injury he sustained while filming The Iron Claw.

Posting about the treatment on Instagram, he shared: ‘I fully commit to my roles, which I love.’

However, he went on to explain that even after months of physical therapy, his back was still ‘messed up’ and he had to seek other treatments, which he explained had made a noticeable difference.

What happened to the Von Erich family?

Hailing from Texas, the family’s actual surname was Adkisson, but every member who worked in wrestling took on the ring name Von Erich.

Since Fritz made his debut in 1953, 10 members of the family have been professional wrestlers.

Between 1952 and 1969, Fritz and his wife Doris had six sons. By the time he died of cancer aged 68 in 1997, five of his sons had predeceased him.

The couple’s first son – Jack Jr. – died in a freak accident when he was just six years old in 1959.

In subsequent years, David died from enteritis in 1984 at age 25, and Mike, Chris, and Kerry all died by suicide, respectively in 1987 at age 23, 1991 at age 21, and 1993 at age 33.

Kevin, Fritz, and Doris’ only surviving son retired from wrestling in 1995.

Doris died in 2015, with the cause of death never being publicly revealed.

The Iron Claw is streaming from August 9 on Netflix.

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