Bronzed, absurdly Adonis-like and beset by loss, Zac Efron transcends a terrible wig to turn in the performance of his career so far, playing a decent man unable to stand up to his horrifyingly domineering dad. Director Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Nest) shines a spotlight on a notorious wrestling family in a poignant and psychologically astute biopic.

In his quest to get to the heart of a deeply disturbing familial dynamic, Durkin brings together a phenomenal cast. Holt McCallany (Mindhunter) is the uncompromising patriarch, Fritz Von Erich, who we see ruthlessly living out his thwarted wrestling dreams through his sons in the late 70s and early 80s. He pits them against each other no matter the consequences, reminding them that big boys don’t cry. Efron plays eldest son Kevin, who is protective of his younger brothers David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White) and Mike (Stanley Simons). Maura Tierney is their devout, emotionally unavailable mother Doris, with Lily James appearing as the voice of reason, Kevin’s wife Pam.

A master of intimate, atmospheric probing, Durkin is adept at getting inside his protagonists’ heads and is beautifully assisted by the elite ensemble; Efron’s eyes are windows to Kevin’s tortured soul, with McCallany countering the myth that a curse is somehow to blame for the family’s misfortune with his overbearing presence. Durkin followed professional wrestling in his youth and is fulfilling a long-held ambition to tell the Von Erichs’ tale. He brings their weird world to life in all its underwear-as-outerwear and glitter-caped glory, whilst showing great sensitivity to the family’s pain in a story where tragedy outweighs the triumphs.

The Iron Claw is in cinemas from Friday 9 February.