The Iron Claw

⭐ 9.5/10

I have been begging for Jess to watch this with me, and she kept saying no because she knew it was sad and is never in the mood for a sad movie.  So when I saw it was available on the back of an Air Canada seat I fired it up and wept in front of the entire plane!

I really loved this movie.  I think the setup is great, the picture of the family that it paints is complete, and it is just so heart breaking.  The father is the center here for me, just so concerned with chasing his dreams through his sons, and every time he loses one he just adjust the plan.  I thought the guy who plays him was tremendous. I was curious why I felt such a connection to these guys, given that my dad isn't like that, and I don't have a relationship with my brother's like this, but I think that's what really good writing and acting can do.  The power of the movies!

Zac Efron is the star here, and I feel like this will be on his tombstone right after Troy Bolton.  Completely different character, kind of quiet and without much charisma.  I love the way his brother jumps into the ring to handle the hype/talking, and then the way they talk about it after.  That other brother, Harris Dickenson, also gets a beautiful conversation while slumped over a toilet after vomiting blood at a wedding, so shout out to him he was awesome.

I kept thinking about how stupid wrestling is and I still don't understand how anyone watches it, or how a father could devote himself and his family to this fake sport.  Obviously they are good actors, but even how they talk about winning belts and then you see them chatting with their opponents before the match making their plans.  I guess that's where the politics come in, who gets the belt has more to do with personality and story, but it was so effective how callous this father was over something so fake.

The ending of this movie completely gutted me. There is the phone call to Kevin, the Kevin to the dad, then the drive over in the morning, the sound, the reaction, the blaming of the father.  It was so heavy and felt so realistic, the way something so tragic would happen.  Kevin constantly talking about this curse and being so paranoid for his own children, watching his brothers get wiped out, so heartbreaking. But then the actual ending, seeing the boys get together, meeting the oldest brother, and then the hard cut to Kevin sitting alone. All he wanted was to do was to be with his brothers, and now they are all together without him!? I was choking back sobs hoping the people around us wouldn't look.  And then the final scene, a dad's sons comforting him and saying they can be his brothers?  I don't know if I will ever cry that hard again, just too much for me at this moment in my life.

I just spoiled the entire movie, but I think everyone else on this site has seen it.  I wish I had written my review sooner when my emotions were high. I love how a simple story like this can be so well told, and I will be rooting for Zac Efron from now.