The following article contains spoilers for The Iron Claw and mentions of suicide
Brotherhood, wrestling, and toxic masculinity: these factors make up the Von Erich family. A24’s latest film The Iron Claw, released in December 2023, depicts the real events of the upbringing of the Von Erich brothers and the tragedy that struck them during their success.
In the wrestling world, the Von Erich name is widely known. It started with Fritz Von Erich, the father of the Von Erich’s and creator of the iron claw move in the ring. Father of six sons, the oldest brother died as a child, making Kevin Von Erich the oldest, followed by David Von Erich, Kerry Von Erich, Mike Von Erich, and Chris Von Erich.
The film follows the Von Erich family’s rise to fame and legacy starting in the 1980s when Kevin (played by Zac Efron) and David (Harris Dickinson) were the initial wrestlers of the family. Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) was training to go to the Olympics when the Olympic boycott was announced in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. When he returns home, his father tells him to go into the ring with his brothers which he accepts without hesitation.
Kevin, David, and Kerry begin wrestling together and along the way, Kevin meets his future wife Pam (Lily James) who quickly becomes part of the family. The audience sees the youngest brother, Mike (Stanley Simons), have a passion for music that he doesn’t share too much as his father disapproves. The film shows the dynamic and love between the brothers as well as the competition and danger of wrestling. The trio does great in the ring together, having crowds cheer their names and anticipate their victories. It gets to the point where they defeat the Fabulous Freebirds for the six – man tag team championship title, leading Fritz to volunteer David to go against Ric Flair in the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Unfortunately, David had gotten sick and the only person that knew was Kevin. He had a bad feeling about David going, but David insisted that he was fine and didn’t need to seek help. A week before his match against Ric Flair, he was found dead in his hotel room in Japan due to enteritis. While the family is mourning their loss, Fritz tells Kevin and Kerry that the show must go on and that one of them has to fight Ric Flair. They flip a coin and Kerry goes against Ric Flair ultimately winning the title.
However, with greatness comes downfall. The pressure that Fritz was taking a toll on his sons. Once David died, he looked to Mike to fill in the spot. Mike was not ready as he was never interested and was smaller than his brothers. He was severely injured in his first match leading to a coma. During this time, Kevin and Pam welcome children who they fear may gain the Von Erich curse. The mental and physical toll that being a Von Erich encompassed was too much for Kerry and Mike, especially when their mother did not step in as it was not her business. Mike ends up taking his own life after his surgery-induced coma and Kerry follows a while after, taking his own life in the front of the house, leaving Kevin as the surviving Von Erich brother.
The celebration of family and the tragedy that became is beautifully heart-wrenching. The film is a must-see, leaving an impact on the viewers. That being said, they did leave out Chris Von Erich who also took his life, but the Von Erichs are remembered by the audience, the wrestling world, and of course, Kevin Von Erich and his family. Today, Kevin lives with his wife, kids, and grandchildren on a ranch in Hawaii.
The Iron Claw is available in select theaters. To hear about the family from Kevin Von Erich himself, stream Dark Side of the Ring season 1, episode 4 on Hulu.