The Iron Claw pins down some strong performances

Independent film company A24 has managed to squeeze in one more flick before the holiday season is over and The Iron Claw is prepared to take down anyone that gets in the way.

The story follows the Von Erich family, whose surname is actually Adkisson, while they navigate the world of wrestling and life in Texas. Fritz Von Erich is not only a father figure, but a business promoter determined to make one of his sons successful. The Von Erichs encounter several personal tragedies that lead them to think there's a bad luck curse surrounding their family tree.

There were six brothers in real life, but the youngest brother Chris is not depicted onscreen and instead his story is mixed in with Mike's character, played by Stanley Simons.

Zac Efron is swole, but not in the way he was during his stint in the Baywatch movie. As Kevin Von Erich his mass and veins pop right off the big screen. The challenge is making this strapping young lad human and Efron goes beyond the call of duty.

Jeremy Allen White continues to mesmerize viewers no matter the size of the part or the lines he is dealt.

Holt McCallany does a lot of the heavy lifting as the complicated Fritz Von Erich and his wife Doris, played by Maura Tierney, is the glue that holds this divided family together.

The cast is excellent and the performers give fully nuanced moments to their characters even if given limited screen time.

The over two-hour running time could be rectified by cutting out the section involving ghosts which comes across as contrived and hokey.

It is easy to be distracted by the short shorts and muscle shirts that were in fashion during that time period, but don't sleep on these multi-layered performances from an extremely talented troupe of actors.

The Iron Claw follows another true story wrestling movie released earlier in the year called Cassandro where Gael Garcia Bernal battled homophobia in the ring as Saúl Armendáriz.

This very different storyline takes a dramatic turn at one point and jokes from the first half are left behind to focus on the tragedy that befalls this family. Fate, religion and karma are all explored by the end of this sad tale. If you don't have empathy for this American professional wrestling family before it is over then you might just have an iron heart!

The Iron Claw plans on putting its cinematic competition in a headlock on December 22, 2023, when it is released in theaters. This family is not going down without a fight!