‘The Iron Claw’ Reaction …

Last month, Variety had reported that Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw” would be released theatrically on December 22nd with, apparently, no fall festival premiere set for the film.

A real shame. “The Iron Claw” sounds like the type of film that absolutely needs to be spotlighted at a film festival. It’s not big or showy and could benefit from some exposure.

Durkin is coming off two above-average films, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and “The Nest,” and here’s hoping he continues that streak with this next one.

"The Iron Claw," was test-screened at Dallas Fort Worth last night. Here’s a reaction:

Overall, I thought the version of the movie that I saw was good, but definitely not great. Sean Durkin does a great job with the directing - it looks gorgeous (Mátyás Erdély is the DP here, and he does a great job at giving the film a distinctive 'look' - it's almost Fincher-esque in spots), and there are several long pan-in shots that are quite distinctive. The acting is also solid across the board - Zac Efron has packed on SERIOUS pounds here to play Kevin Von Erich, and although he doesn't exhibit a ton of range in the film, he does a good job at capturing the heart of the character, beneath all of the muscle. Also good are Jeremy Allen White, as Kevin's brother Kerry, Harris Dickinson as brother David, Maura Tierney as their mother Doris, and Lily James as Pam, Kevin's wife. On a direction and acting-level, the movie works great.

I think my biggest issue with the movie is the writing - on a story level, it feels pretty rudderless, almost like it's checking a series of boxes on a list of true life events, as opposed to telling an interesting story with a distinct narrative (it helps that the Von Erich story is interesting and tragic, but that only goes so far in terms of providing a compelling story). The characters are all pretty thin. As a result, the whole emotional arc of the film feels off, almost like it's missing a key emotional and character component - it's too "soft," when it should be harsh, if that makes sense. (Also weird: the movie basically just "ends" - there's no real climax or denouement. Honestly, I was surprised when the credits started to roll - which again speaks to the lack of a compelling story structure and emotional througline here).

(Also, I'll note too: it was interesting observing the audience's reaction during the movie - for the first 1/3 or so, you could tell that EVERYONE was on board and really into it...but around the 45 minute-mark, the story starts to sag, the narrative begins to feel aimless, and the tone gets very draggy. I heard several folks around me audibly exhaling, and when the movie was over, one of the guys leaving said to his buddy that he was going home to kill himself. A joke - hopefully - but I think it speaks to the film's "off" pace and improperly tuned emotionality, both story-wise and in terms of the character dynamics.

Anyway - those were my initial thoughts. I kind of doubt that this will be a major Oscar contender - Efron is good, but not great in it, and the story feels just too direction-less. In a perfect world, Durkin could take this back to the drawing board, add in more scenes to help emphasize the toxic dynamic between Fritz and his sons, and overall, just give the movie more of a emotional direction...but I don't know if Efron and crew have already lost the weight they've put on or not, and if the movie comes out in December, it's hard to imagine they have much time to alter anything drastically here. I'm VERY curious to compare the final theatrical release to this and see what they changed (if anything).

The drama tells the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers who made a huge impact on the sport in the US from the 1960s to present day.

Many believed the Von Eric’s were the unfortunate recipients of a curse known as the “Von Eric Curse.” You should look it up, this family has had a lot of misfortunes and tragedies come their way in the last six or so decades.

The film, produced by A24, stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney and Lily James.

As far as I know, the film has test-screened three times, with many bewildered by the film’s austere and dark approach. Someone compared it to Bennet Miller’s “Foxcatcher” which is absolute music to my ears. Durkin doesn’t make commercial cinema, and all the better for it.