The Iron Claw

"The Iron Claw was dubbed as "Zac Efron's big movie." It's no wonder: the feature film, unjustly snubbed by the Oscars, aimed to grab the audience's attention as the turning point in the career of the High School Musical star by telling the story of a wrestling fighter living under a curse. Horror film? Almost: here, he's part of a family where almost everything goes wrong. People die unexpectedly, get seriously injured, give up on pursuing. The Iron Claw, therefore, is a tough, highly emotional story that surprises with its realism. The fact is that with or without an Oscar, the feature film is the realization of a good story being told. It may lack the climactic moment it promises so much, but it's still shocking, well-shot, brings good ideas, and above all, it's a milestone in Zac Efron's career, without ever resorting to exaggeration or "Oscar bait." It's sincere cinema – something that, in times of exaggerated special effects and convoluted plots, is a true relief."