Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw” plunges into the riveting world of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty, a household name in the late ’70s and ’80s. The biographical drama stars Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, and explores the highs and lows experienced by the Von Erich family. A tale of ambition, familial pressure, and recurrent tragedy set against the backdrop of Texan wrestling culture in the early ’80s.

Efron gives an engaging performance as the muscled member of the Von Erichs, successfully inhabiting a role that requires both physical prowess and emotional depth. Contrary to Durkin’s previous work in “Martha Marcy May Marlene”, the movie misses some signature moves that could have added depth to the plot. The film successfully captures the wrestling titans’ emotional struggle but could have utilized more wrestling-themed narratives to achieve a thorough representation.

Despite the dramatic transformations by the cast, their efforts are diluted by the one-dimensional narrative about the Von Erich family. The roller-coaster story of a father pushing his sons to extreme limits for success occasionally falls flat and lacks the depth to hold the audience’s attention throughout.

Nonetheless, the Von Erichs’ wrestling saga “The Iron Claw” is a wrestling movie full of tragedies that translate into an absorbing drama on-screen. It’s a tragic tale of a dynasty who ruled the ring, yet suffered the strokes of ill fate outside it.