From the 1970's to the 90's, there was a family of wrestlers, known as the Von Erich family. Von Erich isn't their real surnames but a stage name created by the patriarch, but the family consisted of that patriarch and his six sons. Five of those sons were wrestlers like their father who was a world heavyweight champion and the owner of a wrestling promotion company, based in Dallas, Texas. The family was very successful in their sport. The family even popularized an iconic wrestling move known as "the iron claw," which is where they hold their hand like an animal claw about to scratch and palm the face of their opponent in the ring, squeezing the face into pain. They became somewhat iconic. However, some people started to believe that the family was cursed, as one-by-one the sons began dying until all of them were dead, except one. This film details what caused those dominoes to fall and why it kept happening.
Zac Efron (The Greatest Showman and Hairspray) stars as Kevin Von Erich who was born in 1957 as Kevin Ross Adkisson. He's the second-eldest son of Fritz Von Erich, the aforementioned patriarch of the family. The eldest son died when he was six-years-old in 1959. However, Kevin is now the eldest and as such he has more pressures and responsibilities. A lot of those pressures and responsibilities come from his father who is very tough on all his sons to be the best wrestlers and to be world champions as he was. Kevin's father also pushes his sons to compete against each other and even fosters jealousy. Kevin's father pushes them toward wrestling, even if it's not what they want to do. Kevin is really the only one who notices this push. He's the only one who tries to push back, but none of the sons stand up to their father. They instead try to do what he wants and make him proud, even if it kills them, which is what literally starts to happen, causing the first domino to fall.
Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) co-stars as David Von Erich, the third-eldest son who unlike his oldest brother, Kevin, is way more verbal, especially in the ring. Kevin was seemingly more shy outside the ring and didn't talk as much. Kevin is even more awkward around girls than David. Seemingly, Kevin was a virgin before he met the girl who then become his wife and he met her when he was in his 20's. However, David comes across as someone who lost his virginity way before then because he's very charming and in general more gregarious, more of a suave showman. He is very invested in being like his father and pleasing his dad. When David literally is vomiting blood and needs to go to a hospital, he dismisses the health warnings because he doesn't want to forfeit a wrestling match in Japan that his father has indicated is important.
Jeremy Allen White (The Bear and Shameless) also co-stars as Kerry Von Erich, the fourth-eldest son who unlike his two older brothers didn't want to be a wrestler at first. Kerry was interested in track-and-field and specifically the sport of discus throw. Kerry was supposed to participate in the 1980 Summer Olympics in that sport, but, those Olympics were held in Moscow, Russia, and because the United States boycotted those Olympics due to the Soviet-Afghan War, Kerry lost his chance to compete. His father seized upon that opportunity to bring him into the wrestling fold.
Stanley Simons in his first major Hollywood production plays Mike Von Erich, the fifth son who also didn't start out wanting to be a wrestler. Mike was more interested in working as a cameraman or videographer. He gravitated more into wanting to be a musician. However, pressure from both his father and his mother eventually pushed him into the wrestling company and training to be in the ring. In a lot of ways, he's rushed into the ring before he's ready and as a result, he ends up injuring himself with a minor wrestling move. In reality, the Von Erich family had a sixth son, their youngest son named Chris, but this film pretends like he didn't exist and that Mike is the youngest.
Holt McCallany (Mindhunter and Lights Out) and Maura Tierney (The Affair and ER) round out the cast as Fritz Von Erich, the patriarch in question and Doris Von Erich, his supportive wife. The pressure coming from Fritz onto his sons is apparent and the most in-your-face thing that is directly affecting the boys. However, the pressure coming from Doris isn't as apparent. She's clearly a woman of faith and driven in part by her religion. That influence is more subtle than Fritz's desire to win a world championship, but, as the film progresses, we see how that influence is insidious in the boys' lives.
Both Fritz and Doris parent in a way that leaves the boys to be there for each other and that abstains from much nurturing. Even when the boys get seriously injured with what are permanent damages, neither Fritz nor Doris are attentive to them or comforting to them. They're essentially just pushed to get back in the ring. It shows how an unwavering athletic drive that can be destructive. Despite this film's length, more could have been explored with each of the boys, particularly Kerry, in order to underline that destruction, but the performances all around, particularly from Efron, really sell that destruction otherwise.
Rated R for language, suicide, some sexuality and drug use.
Running Time: 2 hrs. and 12 mins.
In theaters.
