The Iron Claw is Zac Efron's best movie to date, even if the A Family Affair actor has been showcasing his acting skills for quite a long time.
Everything the 36-year-old actor has done has led him to this critically acclaimed role — his ambition, resilience, commitment to body transformations and rejection of a certain kind of toxic masculinity on and off screen are the grounds of a fascinating (even if sometimes irregular) career.
With The Iron Claw, Efron finally had the chance to show everything he can do.
It's the moment we realise he's not just a former Disney star living off the remnants of his teenage fame but actually an ambitious, talented actor willing to go the extra mile for a role. Even if the Oscars refused to acknowledge it!
Efron makes it seem all too easy, like it's nothing to jump from his electric singing-dancing skills in High School Musical to sharp improv in comedies like Neighbours and displays of raw emotion in his latest movie.
What he does is not easy at all.
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At 19, Efron became a global star thanks to the Disney Channel's High School Musical saga, the kind of career-starter that too often becomes a trap for young actors.
Getting rid of the Disney-star fame and transforming it into a movie career is no easy feat. Some, like Zendaya and Ryan Gosling, made a brilliant transition, others, like Lindsay Lohan, got lost along the way (and then reappeared to star in adorable Netflix rom-coms, so not too bad). Zac Efron has had his own bumpy road to navigate, dealing with invasive fame, fans' expectations and early sexualisation.
He has opened up about his lows in that time — he went to rehab at the age of 25 (via Variety) and fell into depression after getting unnaturally ripped through an extreme diet for the 2017 movie Baywatch.
"I learned the hard way about not sacrificing my real health for a look on camera," he said in an interview with Men's Health.
Unrelated to his work, Efron also suffered an accident at home which resulted in a dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist and a forever changed jawline which led to wild speculation a few years back.
The actor's physical changes have been a never-ending topic of public conversation ("Zac Efron is unrecognisable! Fans are stunned!"), and somehow that plays even further into the layered experience that has been his latest role on the big screen.
After allowing himself space to enjoy life and eat carbs (as documented in his 2020 Netflix series Down to Earth), Efron bulked up in a safe way to play Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw, which was a perfect opportunity to showcase his drama skills.
Directed by Sean Durkin, the movie adapts the true story of the Von Erich brothers (played by Efron, The Bear's Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simmons), who became famous wrestlers following their father's legacy before suffering a long, tragic downfall.
It's a story about brotherhood, toxic masculinity (men don’t cry and other pretty little lies) and the sometimes meaningless sacrifices one makes to be the greatest.
Funnily enough, High School Musical's Troy Bolton is not miles away from Efron's latest character — he's a basketball player whose dream of singing and dancing is crushed by an overly strict father obsessed with sports and tainted by toxic masculinity. Things turn out pretty differently for Troy than they do for Kevin, though.
Over his career, Efron has learned to cope with his audience's obsession with his looks and has honed his physicality in exciting, different ways.
First as the electric heartthrob in musicals (Hairspray and The Greatest Showman are among his best works) and teen comedies (17 Again) and then repurposing his good looks for projects like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (where he plays serial killer Ted Bundy, infamous for his dangerous handsomeness), the way Efron works with his body is phenomenal.
Even if many thought his only talent was being good-looking for the teenage masses, the actor has owned that, controlled it and transformed it into a performance asset.
That control over his physical expression stands out in one scene of The Iron Claw, where the Von Erich brothers dance together at a wedding. Following a lively, country-vibe choreography, Efron's ease clearly separates him from the pack. He is almost trying not to be the best dancer in the group, but he can't help it.
Durkin's movie focuses heavily on Efron's body (his striking tan, toned muscles and pronounced veins in his forearms looking like they're about to burst), always on display not as voyeurism but as a representation of his mind and the result of a life of lights and shadows under parental authority.
The actor makes every muscle count: every movement tells its own story.
With The Iron Claw, Efron has taken that corporeal skill to a new level and has found a balance. Perhaps even a new purpose, a fresh motivation to continue exploring his life and career.
"There's been various times of my life, whether it's for a role or even just for myself, where I've been driven to push my physicality to different inhuman proportions, and it's taken a hold at times," he said in an interview with Deadline.
Efron feels this new movie pushes that conversation forward. "I think we owe it to our audiences to explore topics like this, and leave them with something that they can think about and feel and experience," he added.
"It truly is beautiful, how turning something that could be a negative into a movie can transform the experience."
The Iron Claw is now available to watch on Prime Video in the UK.
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Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
