The Iron Claw | 2023 | R | – 6.6.6

Why is “The Iron Claw” rated R? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “language, suicide, some sexuality and drug use.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a sex scene, an implied sex scene, a scene of self-stimulation, a couple of scenes of non-sexual male nudity, many scenes of men wearing skimpy professional wrestling attire, a motorcycle accident leaving a man missing part of his leg, a suicide by overdose, a suicide by gunshot, reports of a man’s death from an intestinal hemorrhage, many scenes of professional wrestling matches with implied pain and injuries and some bloody wounds, many arguments and about 12 F-words and other strong language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

---

Set in the 1980s and inspired by the true story of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers, whose patriarch is bound and determined to bring home the world heavyweight champion belt, to the detriment of his sons and his family. With Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Stanley Simons and Lily James. Directed by Sean Durkin. [Running Time: 2:12]

The Iron Claw SEX/NUDITY 6

 – A young man and a young woman kiss at a party, they leave the party and go to their car where she straddles him in the front seat and they continue to kiss; she reaches below the frame and they discuss if this is her first time and they have sex (we see brief thrusting and hear moaning as the scene ends). A young man and a young woman kiss. A nude young man (bare shoulders, partial chest and back are seen) in a shower is shown to be masturbating (we see rhythmic movement of his shoulder and arm).
► A husband and his wife kiss in a few scenes. A man kisses his dead brother on the lips and grieves. A husband embraces his wife while she lies in bed and we see that she is pregnant (the man is wearing jockey shorts and we see his bare shoulders, back, abdomen and legs).
► Several young women and teens ask wrestlers for their autographs after a match and one young woman asks a wrestler out for a drink. A young woman hugs a young man to comfort him after he tells her about the death of his brother.
► We understand that a young woman is pregnant and her husband says that their wedding was a “shotgun wedding.” A husband and his wife flirt and leave a wedding reception implying that they will have sex and the woman says, “I don’t have to worry about you getting me pregnant.”
► A nude man is shown in a shower stall in a locker room and we see his bare back, buttocks and legs. Many scenes show shirtless men wearing only brief-style pants in wrestling rings during matches and practice sequences (bare chests, abdomens, backs, shoulders, and legs to the hips are seen). A man gets out of bed wearing jockey shorts and we see his bare chest, abdomen and legs to the hips. A woman reprimands her son for not wearing pants to the breakfast table; he is seen wearing jockey shorts and a T-shirt (bare legs to the hips are seen). Young men and young women wearing swimsuits swim in a lake (we see the bare chests, abdomens and legs of young men, and cleavage and the bare abdomens and legs of young women). A young woman wears an off-the-shoulder top that reveals cleavage and bare shoulders. A young man does pushups on top of a keg and when he lowers himself off the keg, he tears his shirt open and yells (we see his bare chest and abdomen).

The Iron Claw VIOLENCE/GORE 6

 – A man calls his brother and says that he is scared and that he is out of control; we later see a gun cabinet open and a gun missing as we hear a gunshot; the man has shot himself in the chest (we see the bloody wound) and the brother carries the body inside the house and lays him on the dining room table (we see blood dripping on the ground, the floor and on the brother’s hands).
► A man in a wrestling ring slams his foot hard on his opponent who is on the mat repeatedly as the ref calls for him to stop; he picks the opponent up and slams him back down on the mat, he lunges at him, punches him repeatedly, twists his neck saying that he will snap it, then squeezes the man’s head in a painful grip as the man yells and pleads for him to stop, and the announcer disqualifies the wrestler for his actions. Two wrestles fight in a match and one punches the other in the abdomen a couple of times and throws him against the ropes; one wrestler punches and kicks the other wrestler and clotheslines him, one wrestler is punched in the groin and the aggressor is reprimanded by the referee, one wrestler is thrown out of the ring and lands hard on his back on the concrete floor (he lies unable to move for a few moments and he moans in pain), then crawls back into the ring where he is kicked in the ribs, he is gouged in the eye, a ref tries to reprimand the offender and he throws the ref out of the ring; another man enters the ring and punches the aggressor in the face twice causing him to leave with the crowd booing (we see an injured wrestler with his torso bandaged). Wrestlers in a ring fight: one punches the other, one gouges the other’s eye, one picks the other up and slams him hard on the mat, they throw each other back and forth against the ropes, and one jumps on the other from the ropes and tackles him to the mat. Two wrestlers fight and one seems to be overwhelmed by the other punching and scratching his face, one wrestler squeezes the other’s head until he draws blood and the bell rings; we see the men in the locker room with one man’s hair matted with blood. A wrestling match shows three wrestlers against three throwing, kicking, jumping on, punching, pinning and twisting the necks of each other throughout the match with several of the wrestlers exclaiming in pain and one team is proclaimed the winner. A series of scenes from different wrestling matches shows opponents fighting and some being thrown out of the ring and we see several wrestlers with blood on their faces and bandaged up later.
► A young man swallows many pills and walks into the dark alone; people search for him and find him dead in a field later. A young man in a wrestling ring does a jump and lands hard on his shoulder screaming in pain and we understand that he undergoes surgery to repair the injury, suffers a spike in his temperature that reaches 107 and is in a coma from toxic shock; he revives later, but speaks haltingly and others around him seem concerned about his ability to function. After drinking a lot of beer, a young man rides a motorcycle in the dark on a narrow road and increases his speed; the scene ends and we then see the young man struggling to get out of bed and use his crutches when we realize that he is missing the bottom of one leg and foot and we later see scrapes on his arms and shoulder; he yells and moans in pain when he straps on a prosthetic and tries to walk and jog wearing it.
► A man trains with repeated falls and throws against ropes, to exhaustion. During a training session, a man grabs his son’s head and squeezes, making the young man fall to his knees in pain. A young man yells in training scenes and two young men argue; one hits the other in the face and the other kicks the first one in the chest. Several workout montages show young men grunting while exercising and lifting heavy weights. Young men grunt and push each other while playing football. A man pinches another man’s nose closed to wake him and he snorts awake.
► Several young men and a young woman sneak out of their house and drive away unbeknownst to their parents and go to a bar where one of them performs in a band. A young man does pushups on top of a keg stand and drinks a lot of beer; when he lowers himself off the keg, he tears his shirt open and yells (please see the Sex/Nudity category for more details). A man and several young men dig post holes.
► A man rants and gloats trying to goad an opponent and says that he has been stabbed and hit by chairs. A man looking sullen tells his son that another of his son’s died from a ruptured intestine. People gather at a funeral and mourn a young man. A young man is shown with a scar on his back.
► A man gives his father a pistol for Christmas and they argue about the man putting it in his gun case without shooting it. We see an unlocked display case containing an assortment of guns.
► A wife and her husband become estranged and she tells him to come home and that “This isn’t working for me” when he says that he doesn’t want to “give it to” them (meaning a curse). A man and his adult son argue about their business and money; the father threatens to disown the son. A woman tries to dress for her son’s funeral but says that the dress she is going to wear is the same one she wore to her other son’s funeral and she cries. President Jimmy Carter makes an address about boycotting the 1980 Olympics after the Soviet Union refused to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. A man talks to his sons about their professional wrestling legacy in several scenes and tells them which of his sons is his favorite. A husband and his wife argue about money in a few scenes. A voiceover talks about a family being cursed and that the mother tried to protect them with God, while the father tried to protect them with wrestling. Several wrestlers discuss and choreograph moves prior to a match before entering the ring. A young man says that his brother died when he was a child. A man complains that professional wrestling management, “Always robbed him at the last minute.” A young man talks about playing musical instruments and his father tells him that there is no future in music. A young man tells his mother, “I’m scared.” A man cries in grief and tells his young sons that he is sorry because, “Men don’t cry,” and the boys correct him and say, “Everyone cries.” A young man eats a lot of food and his mother tells him, “You eat like you are a starving mutt.” A wrestler tries to trash-talk an opponent before a match, stumbles over his words and becomes embarrassed.
► A young man is heard retching in a bathroom and another young man opens a stall door to see him leaning over the toilet (we see the bowl splattered with blood and goo).

The Iron Claw LANGUAGE 6

 – About 12 F-words, 4 scatological terms, 1 anatomical term, 11 mild obscenities, name-calling (oldest brother syndrome, snot-nosed, mayhem, dumbbells, coward, rat bastard, big stud), exclamations (shut-up, boy oh boy, wow, watch it), 3 religious profanities (GD), 9 religious exclamations (e.g. oh my God, thank God, God loves you, Jesus, music lyrics include “thank God I’m a country boy”). | profanity glossary |

The Iron Claw SUBSTANCE USE

 – A young man snorts cocaine in a bar (it is implied that others join him), a young man buys pills from someone in a bar and takes them, a young man crushes and snorts a prescription pill (implied for pain), a young man pours a vial of pills into his mouth and swallows them with beer, and a young man injects himself with something (we see the needle pressing into his flesh). A man and a young man drink glasses of whiskey, people drink bottles of beer with a meal, people drink beer at a bar and a party, people drink beer with a meal, and a young man drinks a lot of beer and rides a motorcycle (please see the Violence/Gore category for more details). A man smokes a cigarette.

The Iron Claw DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Family, tragedy, curses, professional wrestling, obsession, death of children, guilt, greatness, adversity, self-sacrifice, machismo, suicide, domineering men, disappointment, legacies, gender roles.

The Iron Claw MESSAGE

 – It’s important to be able to let go of some things that may be out of reach and cause pain to those you love.