I've known or heard many stories about the Von Erichs for many years so I knew a bit of what I was getting into with this film. My wife is a fan of wrestling but knew very little about this family in particular. For the film itself, it was really well done and the actors (especially Zach Efron) did a fantastic job in their roles to the point I believe Zach should be a best nominated for a major film award like a Golden Globe or hell even an Oscar, out of all the roles throughout his career, this one really solidifies him as a powerful dramatic actor (even better than his role as Ted Bundy).
The film depicts how close mainly the brothers of the family were (Kevin, Kerry, David & Mike) and the events that lead them all except for one to tragic endings. It also depicts how their father (wrestling name Fritz Von Erich) treated them and what was expected of his boys. Some of it was pretty accurate according to the stories I remember and interviews with the real Kevin. However, there are plenty of inaccuracies in the story and if anybody who grew up in Texas Wrestling or followed that family back in the 80's, you can pick up on them almost immediately off the bat especially timeline wise.
Now when it comes to certain things when it came to inaccuracies, the biggest one was the physique of Zach's version of Kevin. In reality, Kevin was never that well built, he was lean yes but didn't look like a bodybuilder. Kerry however was the bodybuilder of the group and the biggest star of the family and they made Jeremy Allen White (who played Kerry) look more or less like Kevin back then. They did get a good idea on David who was considered the best performer and talker of the group but alas there was some things there that didn't add up. I understand the filmmakers needed to create certain aspects of the story to move the film along, I get that but if you're a wrestling fan and you knew some of the real stuff that went on, it does feel a bit off putting but that's just my opinion.
If someone wasn't a wrestling fan or didn't know a lick of that family, you might think this film has some boring scenes or moments of a tear jerker and shocking depictions of the family dynamic but some may also find it very moving and sad. The end game here is that this isn't your typical drama and it's not a fun go to movie. It is however, an amazing film that has some moments that are cool to watch and have a small chuckle. Whether you're a fan of 80's wrestling or just another movie goer it doesn't matter, it's still a great film to watch and put into perspective what pro wrestling can do to a family even when members were as close as those brothers were. It's a film of appreciation and outlook to what happened to that family and how one member in the end came out of it despite certain trauma physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically to break the cycle that no one thought was possible.
I don't need to go into anymore details of how inaccurate some things are in the movie, I'll let you do research on that on your own. For us wrestling fans, it wasn't that difficult to find the scrambles. Overall, it is a must watch movie and learning to understand the strong bonds it depicts along with the events of what happened to those brothers. The Von Erich family is tragic in almost every aspect of the word but they left a mark on pro wrestling that still holds dear today for those who grew up in Texas in the 80's watching them closely at the Sportatorium and seeing even a World Title go into the family even for a very short period of time. When you see the legacy of the family that still continues today, you'll get a sense of, despite tragedy, something came out of it that's bittersweet but wholesome in a way that is incredible and triumphant.
I would give this movie a 8.8/10.
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