I’m Ready For The Zac Efron Renaissance

I accidentally indulged in a Zac Efron double feature over the weekend. 

No, it wasn’t 2/3s of the High School Musical trilogy (which I highly recommend marathon bingeing). It was A Family Affair, Zac’s most recent movie released on Netflix, and The Iron Claw, which came out late last year and is available to buy on Amazon.   

After watching the two films back to back, I’m happy to report that Zac Efron has officially RETURNED.

Yep, you heard it here first, folks. Those obscure middle years of hosting an adventure show and dating local waitresses are behind us, and we must now focus on a future in which Zac has returned to his leading man status.

Elephant in the room, yes he does in fact have a new face, and yes it is a little distracting. However, he’s been completely transparent about the reasons behind this, and while it does feel like we’re levelling the playing field by scrutinising a man’s face for once, I think it’s time we move on from the public discourse and accept his new normal.

ANYWHO, back to the movies. 

You’ve likely seen A Family Affair everywhere lately. It was released over the weekend and is a new romcom from the producers of Anyone But You which absolutely tracks. Starring Zac, Nicole Kidman and Joey King, the film is essentially The Idea of You but in a different font. Normie mother/daughter combo, famous younger man, hilarity, hijinx and soul-searching ensues. 

Zac Efron in A Family Affair. Image credit: Netflix

While The Idea of You was a little on the earnest side, A Family Affair doesn’t shy away from poking fun at fame. Zac expertly portrays a self-centred, womanising “movie star” Chris, who deep down is desperate to be taken seriously (aren’t we all). He’s starring in an action franchise, the latest offering pitched as “Die Hard meets Miracle on 34th Street“. He quotes lines from his movies to seduce women. He complains about not being able to go to the grocery store without being swarmed by fans. He’s yuck.

Zac manages to play douchebags very convincingly and does so with the perfect blend of humour and vulnerability. When Chris meets Brooke (played by Nicole), the widowed mother of his tormented personal assistant, Zara (played by Joey), we see how his real charm comes out when he’s challenged by those who see past his fame and interrogate the real him. 

I’ll say it, the movie is pretty average. It’s predictable and the plot lacks depth. But it’s a fun, silly rom-com perfect for watching when you wanna zone out a little, and Zac more than rises to the occasion of having an Academy Award-winning scene partner. 

Next up, I watched The Iron Claw. 

Oh, my god. This movie was phenomenal and I cannot stop thinking about it. 

The biographical sports drama centres around the Von Erich family, their dominance in pro-wrestling during the early 1980s and the tragic events that follow them. Zac stars as Kevin Von Erich, and despite the fact that his physique is comparable to a Greek God, we see a real softness shine through with his extremely nuanced portrayal of masculinity. 

Zac Efron in The Iron Claw. Image credit: Prime Video

Zac’s co-stars include The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, Mindhunter’s Holt McCallany and Pam and Tommy’s Lily James, and while the film centres around sport, it is ultimately a story about brotherhood, faith, grief and the overwhelming pressure of legacy. Let’s just say, I was 1000% sobbing by the time the end credits were rolling.

Zac’s performance was lauded by critics, The Guardian describing it as “the finest, rawest performance of his career”, and Rolling Stone labelling it “Zac Efron’s finest hour”, and I (obviously) wholeheartedly agree. But while the performance was remarkable standing alone, I kept comparing it to the silliness of A Family Affair from a few hours prior and was so struck by how much range this man has as an actor. 

Having predominantly featured in romcoms, bro-coms or low-stakes romantic “dramas”, we’ve rarely had the opportunity to see what Zac is capable of as an actor beyond making us laugh, looking ripped and being a heartthrob. Aside from his chilling portrayal of Ted Bundy in Netflix’s 2019 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, I don’t think I’d ever considered the notion that he could hold his own in more complex roles. 

Zac Efron as Ted Bundy. Image credit: Brian Douglas/Netflix

But now I am sold, and I am really stoked that the teen cutie who worked his butt off playing Troy Bolton in HSM is finally being taken seriously. 

So, Hollywood, please cast the man in anything and everything. Let him keep entertaining us being a dumb, lovable romantic lead! Get him singing and dancing again! Challenge him with literally any physical role because he will go to uncomfortable lengths to nail it! And please, give him more dramatic opportunities, because I think boyfriend has much more depth than we’ve been giving him credit for. 

Written by Lil Friedmann, a pop culture investigator who knows every word to ‘Bet On It’. You can follow her at @lilfriedmann on socials.

Image credit: Netflix + Punkee