From wrestling rings to tennis courts, sports films in 2024 have reshaped the landscape for the future of sports cinema. “The Iron Claw” and “Challengers” are unique in telling stories of power, fear, manipulation, desire, and love on the same screen as competitive sports. 

“The Iron Claw” is a film about the Von Erichs, a wrestling family that faced immense heartbreak and tragedy during their prime years in the wrestling world. The brothers were brought up to wrestle by their tough, abusive father, Fritz Von Erich, a wrestler himself. Fritz was obsessed with winning and trained all of his sons to become wrestlers against some of their wishes.

Fritz’s Iron Fist parenting and coaching style took a toll on his children, impacting them into adulthood in tragic ways. David died from health issues at 25, Mike died from suicide at 23, and Kerry died from suicide at 33. Kevin was the only brother who survived and in the film, he blames his father’s unnecessary roughness on him and his brothers for their early deaths. 

There is no victor in this story. Usually in sports films, the athlete has the drive within themselves to compete and find success. The Von Erich brothers possessed this same drive, except it was fueled and burnt out by their overbearing father. The Von Eich brothers saw major success, but that wasn’t the purpose of telling their story on the big screen.

The Von Erich story isn’t about their triumph but what they endured to achieve it and whether their sacrifice was worth it. Fame, success, and recognition are important, but it would be a lie to say that’s the whole story.

In the 1980s, when the Von Erich brothers were famous wrestlers, mental illness was largely unrecognized. In male-dominated spaces, any sign of emotional struggle was seen as a weakness. This is something the brothers likely faced as they went to great lengths to prove their worth to their father. 

On the other side of the coin, “Challengers” holds a place for competitiveness and drive like sports movies of the past, but in a rather unique way. In the film, Art and Patrick are highly esteemed tennis players, but Tashi is one of the best. The two are in awe of her and her talent.

Throughout the film, Tashi is ultra-competitive with her opponents; it’s what makes her the best. Tahi’s character is a fresh and rarely seen portrayal of women in sports films She comes from a wealthy family and is purely dedicated to tennis because it’s her passion. Tashi is obsessed with