Netflix adds 'incredible yet devastating' true story film that leaves fans in floods of tears
Netflix has added a heartbreaking biopic about a famous wrestling family which has left viewers in floods of tears. The Iron Claw, which features a series of Hollywood stars including Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, tells the devastating story of the Von Erich brothers as they made history in the highly competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.
The 2023 film, which was released in UK cinemas in February 2024, has scored an impressive 89 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and landed on Netflix over the weekend. Zac Efron takes on a leading role as Kevin Von Erich, one of the siblings who achieved fame as a professional wrestler whilst Harris Dickinson plays David, Jeremy Allen White plays Kerry and Stanley Simons plays Mike.
A synopsis for the sports drama reads: "The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s." Despite their wrestling success, the Von Erichs faced endless amounts of tragedy outside of the ring.
The family was struck by a series of tragic deaths, which are depicted throughout the film, with their misfortune becoming known as the 'Von Erich Curse'.
The film was already so sad that the director was forced to make the tough decision to leave one major detail out of the film in case it was too upsetting for viewers.
Despite this, Netflix fans have been left highly impressed by the biopic, although they have warned it is a difficult watch.
One IMDb reviewer wrote: "The Iron Claw is incredible yet devastating. It's an emotionally haunting film that is going to stick with me for a while."
Meanwhile another fan on Reddit wrote: 'This movie completely broke me and I don't say that often but damn.
'I knew very little about the family going into it but had heard it was based on a true story and depressing. But this movie was more depressing than I had imagined lol especially the last 15 minutes absolutely brutal.'
A third added: "Watching the final scene of The Iron Claw and I think someone must have been cutting onions next to me. Seen it like 5 times and it always hits like a punch to the gut."
Referencing the missing detail of the film, another reviewer on Letterboxd wrote: 'Crazy they actually made the story less sad in order to make it more believable.'
Throughout the course of the film, tragedy strikes the family multiple times and Kevin is the only brother who lives through it all.
The first is when the Von Erich's older brother, Jack, died at the age of six.
How he passed away was one of the many tragic details left out to make the film watchable as Jack was electrocuted by an exposed wire and drowned in a puddle.
The next of his brothers to die was David Von Erich, who passed away at 25 on a trip to Japan after health complications caused his sudden death.
Later in the film, Mike and Kerry Von Erich both take their own lives.
Mike sadly becomes disabled to due to an in-ring accident and Kerry loses his leg the night he won the family's first World Championship.
All of this happened in real life except one major detail was missed out - there was another brother who also died of suicide.
Chris Von Erich was left out of the film with Mike being a combination of the two real life brothers.
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Chris suffered from asthma and brittle bones but attempt to wrestle anyway, which proved to be a huge fail.
He killed himself with a shot to the head in 1991 at the age of 21.
When speaking about the decision to leave out Chris, director Sean Durkin said: 'There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn't really withstand.'
He confessed that Chris had been in the script for five years and taking him out was an 'impossible choice.'
Durkin stated that Kevin, who is the only son of Fritz Von Erich to live past their 20s or 30s, said he 'understood' when he told him of his decision.
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