The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

For in-depth thoughts on The Iron Claw, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The Iron Claw comes to Blu-Ray in an AVC encoded transfer in 1.85:1 courtesy of Lionsgate featuring an appropriately gritty transfer that captures the 35mm roots of the film. This presentation is consistently impressive as it offers a stable image quality throughout. There is no trace of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances outside a very minor bit of noise in the most dimly lit locations. The filmic nature of the feature translates well on disc with most shots giving the movie a bit of extra character to match the time period.

Sean Durkin and cinematographer Mátyás Erdély capture certain imagery that thrives in high definition. The textural details always render with nice definition, and colors are properly saturated in a way that matches the style of the film. The film has a very warm aesthetic that feels right for a period piece. Skin tones look natural throughout the runtime. I do not see how this disc could have been notably improved without a 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. Lionsgate has treated this one well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a thoughtful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that holds up favorably. The track thrives when it comes to environmental sounds both in the outdoor material along with the action in the ring. The musical cues are featured impeccably here with an enveloping use of the surround speakers. Every song radiates out with a grand fidelity.

Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without ever being overshadowed by the environmental effects or the music. The sound design is precisely executed with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects put you right in the middle of the action in the ring and at home. Activity in the low end ramps up when it needs to with some texture. This is a fantastic audio presentation that brings the movie to life exactly how you want. There are optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Making Of The Iron Claw: A nearly 30-minute featurette is provided which has the cast and crew talking about bringing this true story to life, the characters and the bond they share, the intense training, creating the look of the film, the creative liberties taken, and more.

Cast and Crew Q&A: A 21-minute post-screening conversation with writer/director Sean Durkin; the real-life Kevin Von Erich; and actors Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, and Holt McCallany. There are some great conversations about the approach taken with this story, the importance of family to the film, the steps taken to prepare for the production, and more.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Iron Claw is a captivating and devastating look at a family who had an unconventional family business that brought out the best and worst out of the members. Director Sean Durkin fills this story with the love that these brothers had for one another even when they had a dark cloud over them. The narrative is highly emotional, and it is made even more so by the flawless performances of all involved, especially Zac Efron. The third act of the movie becomes a bit hastily edited which keeps some of the blows from landing as hard as they should, but the developments still leave a mark. Even with some inconsistency, it is one of the better films of the year. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation and some fun special features. Highly Recommended

The Iron Claw will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital on March 26, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.