According to the specialized critic, “The Iron Claw” may earn Zac Efron his first Oscar nomination, and he might even win. With these rumors, it’s not strange to see the film ranking as No. 1 movie on Max in the United States shortly after its release on the catalog.
Though starting as an independent film company, A24 has consistently aimed to have its titles compete in the most respected awards for some years now. Both its dramas and horror pictures are regarded as among the best in their respective genres.
However, “The Iron Claw” shines for more than just the production company behind it or its stellar cast. The reason it’s attracting so many viewers is its plot, which is based on the real and tragic story of The Von Erich family of professional wrestlers.
The Iron Claw is the most-watched movie in Max US
The tragedy of the Von Erich family has long been a subject of widespread controversy. Thus, it could have been easily predicted that “The Iron Claw” would ascend to the top spot on Max US movies ranking in its first days on the platform.
It quickly surpassed all-time favorite titles such as “The Dead Don’t Die” and “Inception”. Furthermore, it outshone “War for the Planet of the Apes” with minimal effort, despite this film being the current trend due to the recent premiere of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”.
The A24 picture revolves around the Von Erich family and their wrestling trajectory. It specifically focuses on Kevin Von Erich, who bears witness to all the horrors experienced by his parents and brothers year after year.
The protagonist is portrayed by Zac Efron, while his brothers’ characters are brought to life by Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson. Their parents are played by Maura Tierney and Holt McCallany, while the rest of the cast includes stars like Lily James.
As mentioned earlier, “The Iron Claw” is poised to make a lot of noise at the next Oscars. The Atlantic’s David Sims stated that “it is the kind of big, weepy, macho film that just doesn’t get made much anymore, a soaring power ballad that should prompt a lot of loud sniffling in the theater.”