The first half of this movie felt a lot like "Dazed and Confused"...the second half felt like a Shakespearean tragedy come to life. Both worked for me, honestly, even if the transition was slightly abrupt. The cast is fantastic, and the filmmaking manages to make both wrestling and family to feel like a true contact sport, not to mention war of attrition. It does take a while for the toxicity (of wrestling, of expectations, of masculinity) to devour the Von Erich brothers. Durkin streamlined the story a bit, which not only serves the narrative flow but leads to gut punch after gut punch for the audience. About 2/3 of the movie, I literally thought "Oh no. Not again." And I was familiar enough with the story to be somewhat prepared. In true wrestling fashion, the movie got a bit melodramatic towards the end, but I didn't mind too much. The actors earned those moments, and so did Durkin.
Review of The Iron Claw
