The recent release of biographical wrestling drama “The Iron Claw” is gaining critical praise and year-end awards attention. It was named recently by the National Board of Review as one of the top 10 films of 2023 earlier this month.
Written and directed by Durkin, “The Iron Claw” is currently playing in cinemas. The film features Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Maxwell Jacob Friedman as Lance Von Erich, Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich, Maura Tierny as Doris Von Erich, Lily James as Pam Adkisson, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Ric Flair among other.
Recently, the film’s director Sean Durkin shares his emotional personal experiences in making the film, and his passion for the film’s subject about the tragic story of The Von Erich family of wrestlers:
As a kid in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I was obsessed with wrestling. I don’t know what got me into the sport, I just remember being completely consumed by it. I was living in England at the time, and although the popularity of wrestling was growing, it was far from ingrained in the culture. I would watch the weekly shows on TV, the main events that aired a few times a year, and beg my parents to take me to any live matches passing through London.
But it wasn’t enough. I wanted to know everything there was to know about the world of wrestling. I would search for magazines any time my parents stopped at a newsstand. I’d scour book shops for VHS tapes of old NWA matches. And it was in this deep dive that I first saw The Von Erich brothers wrestling together as hometown heroes in the renowned Dallas Sportatorium.
I’ll never forget those first images of that place. You could feel the sweat and the dust, you could smell the cigarette smoke. These guys were fast and exciting and the crowd was wild. Every wrestling show on TV was so polished at that point, verging on cartoonish. But this felt real and raw, this had honesty. I fell in love with Kevin’s bare foot high-flying style; Kerry’s unparalleled power and athleticism; David’s towering stature. A three-headed monster of epic proportions commanding this vibrant stage in my favorite sport. They were rockstars in the ring who revolutionized wrestling. And they just looked like they were having so much fun doing it together. You could feel the love between them.
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