Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, Lily James, Maxwell Jacob Friedman
OUR RATING: ★★★★☆
Story:
A24 bio-sports drama written and directed by Sean Durkin. Based on a true story, The Iron Claw (2023) centers on the Von Erich brothers, Kevin, Kerry, David, and Mike (Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons), 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.
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Best Quotes
Fritz Von Erich: The only way to beat it, is to be the toughest, the strongest, the most successful, the absolute best. To rely on no one but ourselves. I will get us there. I will be the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and nothing will hurt us ever again.
Fritz Von Erich: [to Doris] We’ve been through hell, and we’re going to leave all that behind. I promise.
Kevin Von Erich: Ever since I was a child, people said my family was cursed. We never talked about it. And I don’t know if my brothers, and I believed it back then, but bad things kept happening. Mom tried to protect us with God. Pop tried to protect us with wrestling. He said if we were the toughest, the strongest, the most successful, nothing could ever hurt us. I believed him. We all did. We loved our father. And we loved wrestling.
Mike Von Erich: Well, may not be the strongest, but I still can eat the most.
Fritz Von Erich: Now we all know Kerry’s my favorite, then Kev, then David, then Mike. But the rankings can always change. Everyone can work their way up or down.
Bill Mercer: Look out, NWA. David and Kevin Von Erich are here!
Kevin Von Erich: Are you asking me out?
Pam: Make me feel a little worse while you’re at it.
Kevin Von Erich: No. No, no. Sorry. No. I would love to go out with you, Pam. It wasn’t that. Yeah. I just, I’ve just never been asked before.
Pam: Oh. Well, hopefully, it will go well and then no one else will have the chance to ask you again.
Pam: So, what do you want in life, Kevin Von Erich?
Kevin Von Erich: More ribs. I want to be World Heavyweight Champion.
Pam: Well, can you just explain that to me, because ain’t it all just fake?
Kevin Von Erich: Fake? There’s nothing fake about what we do.
Kevin Von Erich: I want to be with my family. You know, be with my brothers.
Pam: That’s sweet. What do you like to do with your brothers?
Kevin Von Erich: Anything. I don’t know. Just being together, we can do anything.
Kevin Von Erich: [to Pam] We could be one of those modern super couples. We can have our own ranch. Everyone could come live with us. All my brothers, their families.
Kevin Von Erich: My dad changed his last name to Von Erich, which was my grandma’s last name. And I don’t know, I guess her family had all sorts of tragedy. So, when my brother died, people started saying that it was this curse. But I don’t believe in any of that. I know it was all just bad luck.
Pam: Well, I don’t believe in curses, and I don’t believe in luck. I think we make our own luck.
Kevin Von Erich: You’re lucky then.
Fritz Von Erich: [to Kevin] I’ve dreamed of having that belt in this house my whole career, but the NWA never gave me the chance I deserved. I got close many times, but they always robbed me at the last minute. So you have to take this opportunity. You can be the one to bring it home for us.
Bill Mercer: What an occasion this is for Von Erich family. The thirty-five hundred fans in the building and everyone watching at home as we are broadcasting in sixty-two countries around the world. All eyes are on this contest. Now this is a non-title fight. The belt cannot change hands here, tonight. But it is a tremendous opportunity for Kevin. If he can win, he would become the number one contender.
'Our greatness will be measured by our response to adversity.' - Fritz Von Erich (The Iron Claw) Share on X
David Von Erich: Harley Race, tonight we showed you what we’re made of. Alright? You came into our building with our fans. And my brother here put a good old fashion Texas whooping on you. You are the past, my friend. We’re the future of this sport. So, you keep on running. But everyone sees you. Oh, yeah. Everyone sees you. And we’ll catch you, whether you’re man enough to stop back through Dallas, or if we have to chase you down in Missouri. My brother here deserves his rematch, and he will fight you anywhere, anytime for a fair shot at that NWA World Heavyweight title!
Kevin Von Erich: Look at my beautiful brothers.
Kevin Von Erich: So, what do you think? Like we’re a lot.
Pam: I love your family, Kevin.
Fritz Von Erich: [to Kerry] Now, I wouldn’t wish wrestling on any of you. I only wrestled to provide for you all. And I always hoped you boys would choose another profession. But the Olympics has been taken from you the way professional football was taken from me. The world keeps taking from us, and I’m sick of it. I want to fight back. And the more of us in it together, the better.
David Von Erich: Now, you’ve made this about Georgia versus Texas and it isn’t. It’s about filth versus decency. And you know it. And we’re here today to restore justice and order to the wrestling federation that our father built with his own two hands. The hands that were passed down to us. The hands that will deliver the Iron Claw to you.
Ring Announcer: The challengers from Denton, Texas, weighing in at a combined weight of six hundred ninety pounds, Kevin, Kerry, and David Von Erich!
Ring Announcer: The winners and new NWA World’s Six man tag team champions, Kevin, Kerry, and David Von Erich!
Fritz Von Erich: The Von Erichs are the best in the business. And we’re coming for you all.
Fritz Von Erich: I will make it my life’s work to see to it that David Von Erich will be the next NWA World Heavyweight Champion. And then each and every one of my sons, starting with Kevin, then Kerry, then Mike. All one day will lift that World Heavyweight title belt, because the Von Erich’s are and will forever be the greatest family in the history of wrestling!
Fritz Von Erich: [to David] We’ve had a couple of setbacks, but I can feel it. If you perform, the title will be ours.
Fritz Von Erich: [to Kevin and Kerry] Now, this wouldn’t be happening without the two of you. You’ve made your brother better, and your collective effort has pushed him to the top. Keep it up out there. You never know when your opportunity will come.
Kevin Von Erich: Thing is, I didn’t even really want it that bad. I just love being out there with you guys. It’s the only thing that matters to me.
David Von Erich: Look at you, man. Married two hours and already losing your competitive edge.
Fritz Von Erich: [after David’s death] I don’t want to see any tears. The Lord decided it was time for David to move on. We have to accept that. In his twenty-five years, he lived seventy-five years worth of life.
'You shouldn't see me like this. A man doesn't cry. I'm sorry, boys.' - Kevin Von Erich, 'It's okay, Dad. You can cry. Everyone cries.' - Ross Adkisson (The Iron Claw) Share on X
Fritz Von Erich: It’s hard to see clearly in this dark moment, but we cannot let this tragedy define us. Our greatness will be measured by our response to adversity.
Kevin Von Erich: [after Michael goes into coma from his shoulder surgery] Why is this happening to us? Why does it just keep happening?
Mike Von Erich: I’m scared, Ma.
Doris Von Erich: God loves you, Michael. There is nothing to be scared of.
Mike Von Erich: I’m not David.
Doris Von Erich: What?
Mike Von Erich: Everybody wants me to be David, but I can’t replace him.
Kevin Von Erich: Maybe you should do something else with your life.
Kerry Von Erich: Why? So, you’re the only brother left in the ring? You get all daddy’s attention? F*** you.
Kevin Von Erich: I want you in the ring. I can’t do this by myself!
Mike Von Erich: [from his suicide note] I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I’m going to a better place.
Kevin Von Erich: Ever since I was a child, people said my family was cursed. It never seemed to worry my father. He said if we were the toughest, the strongest, the most successful, the absolute best, nothing could ever hurt us. I believed him. We all did.
Ric Flair: It is so hard to be humble when you’re looking like Ric Flair. You see the difference between me and a lot of these so-called big-time stars is that I’m custom made from head to toe.
Ric Flair: The bottom line is, if you’re a man, you take the ups and downs. If you’re a real man, you’ll never go down. You’ll just stay up. That’s why I am the World’s Heavyweight Champion. And I can go through Kevin Von Erich, or any Von Erich in the worst day of my life.
Bill Mercer: And here comes Kevin. A meteoric rise these last two months to become the number one contender for the NWA World Heavyweight title, the most prized belt in all of wrestling, the only title that escaped his father, living legend Fritz Von Erich.
Fritz Von Erich: [to Kevin, referring to their company] If you sell, you can forget about stepping through these doors again. Damn, you’re almost forty years old. Still can’t take care of yourself.
Kerry Von Erich: Oh, I’m scared, man. I’m scared. I’m out of control.
Kevin Von Erich: Well, you’ve got to get some help.
Kerry Von Erich: I’m in pain. I’m in pain all the time. I’m f***ing deformed. It takes too much to hide it.
Kerry Von Erich: They don’t want me anymore. Well, I got nowhere to go. I got no one.
Kerry Von Erich: I need someone. You know, I need a family.
Kerry Von Erich: You know, I want it all to end.
Kevin Von Erich: No, you don’t. No, you don’t. You don’t mean that.
Kerry Von Erich: I do. I’m f***ing cursed. I want to die.
Kevin Von Erich: How are you going to say that to me, huh? After everything?
Kerry Von Erich: It’s in me now. It’s got a hold of me.
Kevin Von Erich: [after Kerry’s death] I told you to look out for him! You didn’t take care of him! You didn’t take care of any of them!
Fritz Von Erich: He called you, and you didn’t help him!
Kerry Von Erich: [from his suicide note] I don’t know what’s on the other side, but I can’t be here anymore. Tonight, I walk with my brothers.
Kerry Von Erich: [as Kevin has a vision of his brothers in the afterlife] World champion of the afterlife, huh?
David Von Erich: Oh, finally.
Kevin Von Erich: You shouldn’t see me like this. A man doesn’t cry. I’m sorry, boys.
Ross Adkisson: It’s okay, Dad. You can cry. Everyone cries.
Marshall Adkisson: Yeah. What are you talking about? We cry all the time.
Kevin Von Erich: Well, I guess it’s because I used to be a brother, and now I’m not a brother anymore.
Ross Adkisson: Oh, well. We’ll be your brothers, Dad.
Marshall Adkisson: Yeah, Dad. We’ll be your brothers.
Kevin Von Erich: Oh. Thank you, boys. Thank you.
[it is then revealed tha the Von Erichs were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 and Kevin and Pam live with their whole family at their ranch]