Adele is singing Zac Efron’s praises.
“Obviously there’s loads of great movies, but if you haven’t seen it, [The] Iron Claw was my favorite movie of the year,” Adele, 35, told concertgoers in a clip shared via A24’s official Instagram page on Sunday, January 21. “I was so blown away by Zac Efron in that movie and at the end, I cried for two hours.”
The singer also noted that Maestro, which Bradley Cooper directed and starred in, was “f–king phenomenal,” before doubling down by saying that The Iron Claw was her favorite film of 2023.
“Good week to be an Iron Claw fan,” the A24 account captioned the post, which also included a clip of tennis player Coco Gauff joking that she was rushing during a match because, “I want to see The Iron Claw tonight.”
Although Adele considered it a standout, the biographical drama earned zero Oscar nods. Efron, 36, who gained 15 pounds of muscle to portray professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich, has chosen to focus on the accolades that the movie has received.
“The Iron Claw won best ensemble cast at the National Board of Review and [I] got to meet [Daniel Day-Lewis] — someone I’ve looked up to for a long time now,” Efron wrote via Instagram earlier this week alongside a photo of him chatting with Day-Lewis, 66.
The film tells the story of the Von Erich professional wrestling family and the many tragedies they faced along with their successes in the ring. In addition to Efron, The Iron Claw stars Jeremy Allen White as Efron’s brother Kerry Von Erich and Lily James as his wife, Pam Adkisson.
“This movie was a real labor of love,” Efron wrote via Instagram ahead of the film’s release in December 2023. “The months of training, filming, blood, sweat and tears … the bond we built as brothers … this one’s close to my heart.”
Efron previously admitted that the project was a big swing for him, which is what drew him to the role in the first place.
“I’ve always sought out opportunities where the potential failures might outweigh the benefits. I could very well f–k this up,” he told Variety in December 2023. “I have to remind myself that this should be fun above all else. If being a perfectionist is going to be the thorn in my side from this point on, it’s like, ‘Jeez — life is way too short.’”
The Iron Claw wasn’t the only movie overlooked by the Oscars this year. Other snubs included no acting nominations for May December and Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig getting shut out of the acting and directing categories for Barbie, respectively, despite the blockbuster hit earning a Best Picture nomination.
