The Iron Claw

Sweet, sad, and a little too slow for its own good. That's the Von Erich movie in one sentence.

This is a wrestling family story, but if you're showing up for body slams and chair shots, wrong room. It's a drama first, last, and always. There's a sweetness running underneath it, and there's a sadness that earns its keep by the end. The two work together better than I expected them to.

Zac Efron is the reason to watch this thing.

Zac Efron is the reason to watch this thing. His dramatic turn carries the movie. I've seen him do a lot of things over the years, and this is him operating on a different level. If you've been sleeping on him as a dramatic actor, wake up.

Holt as the father of the family is solid too. He anchors the patriarch role the way you need him to, and the whole dynamic only works because he's pulling his weight.

The problem? It drags. There are stretches where I felt myself drifting, and once a movie loses you a couple of times, it's hard to fully climb back in. I never disengaged for good, but I checked out enough to notice. That's the thing that kept this from really landing for me.

So who's this for? People who like a slow, heavy drama with a sad sweet ending. If that's your wheelhouse, you'll get something out of it. If you need momentum, you're going to feel every minute.

It stuck with me after. I just don't think I need to sit through it twice.