On March 15th, a movie was released in Spain that undoubtedly deserved to be among the 2024 Oscars. The Iron Claw, directed by the relatively unknown Sean Durkin —who is one of the directors of Inseparable, the Prime Video series, and previously directed the films The Nest and Southcliffe— has managed to stand out with a unique proposal. It is a provocative, emotional, surprising film with a top-notch cast. And above all, it has served to redeem its protagonist: Zac Efron.
The Iron Clan is based on the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 80s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their dominant father and coach, the brothers seek immortality on the biggest stage of the sport.
Jeremy Allen White joins Zac Efron in the cast, who, in addition to recently becoming famous for being Rosalía’s new partner, is the protagonist of one of the most acclaimed series of recent years: The Bear. Undoubtedly, the duo they make is fascinating, and they demonstrate it with a proposal rarely seen in cinemas.
Zac Efron: from teenage actor to charismatic star
Among all the remarkable aspects of the movie, there is no doubt that Zac Efron’s performance is what stands out the most. Undoubtedly, the actor has undergone a great evolution in recent years, and that’s saying something considering he was destined, like Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert Pattinson, to be just another handsome teenage boy after starring in sagas for this audience.
Although Efron is far from achieving what Pattinson and DiCaprio have accomplished in recent years, his charisma on the big screen is undoubtedly remarkable. Furthermore, the victory is twofold in his case, since he suffered an accident in 2021 in which he almost died and that deformed his face in a very aggressive way. Despite this controversial fall, he has managed to come out and prove that it hasn’t mattered by starring in a high-level film.
And the truth is that Efron had it both very good and very bad at the same time, as he rose to fame with High School Musical, the successful Disney franchise that became a phenomenon in the 2000s but, at the same time, was nothing more than a joke for the non-child audience. But the truth is that the trilogy not only catapulted him to international fame, but also demonstrated his versatility as an actor and singer, consolidating his position as one of the most promising young talents in Hollywood.
However, the actor didn’t really overthink when it came to playing other roles. With 17 Again, Neighbors, or The Lucky One, he seemed to be heading towards a career in romantic comedies and continuing to be a teenage icon. And then he changed it up a bit with Baywatch and The Greatest Showman, but it didn’t seem like he was going to go much further than that.
But everything started to change at the end of the previous decade. With Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Efron stepped into the shoes of Ted Bundy, the serial killer who terrorized the United States in the seventies. Although it wasn’t a great movie, undoubtedly the highlight was Efron’s performance, and with it he made it clear that he wanted to bet on a different type of roles.
Now, with The Iron Clan, he shows once and for all that he is much more than just a pretty face actor, and that without giving up everything that makes him unique. We will see if the movie has an international success, since it didn’t do so well in the United States. However, it is clear that this could be the comeback of an actor who, until now, had been nothing more than a joke.
