The Iron Claw

This filmic treatment of the lives of the Von Erich family uses wrestling as a moving metaphor for both Reaganomics and toxic masculinity.

David Von Erich (Harris Dickinson) issuing a warning to rival wrestlers in an interview with commentator Bill Mercer (Michael J. Harney), flanked to the left and right respectively by David’s brothers Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) and Kevin (Zac Efron) in The Iron Claw (A24).

Please support my work by becoming a free or a paid subscriber to the newsletter. Paid subscribers can access my full archive of posts at any time, and are vital to me being able to continue producing and expanding this newsletter.

This post is part of the ‘One Take’ weekly series analysing the politics of a film currently showing at the cinemas.

Content warnings: Child death; Bereavement.

Note: Given that, at time of writing, The Iron Claw is still showing in UK cinemas, this analysis only lays out as much of the film’s scenario as is necessary so as to avoid spoilers. It is therefore suitable to be read either before or after watching the film, while hopefully still enriching the viewer’s appreciation of it either way.