Nail in the Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro
epic picturesProfessional wrestling is one of the toughest industries, leaving behind a trail of broken, ageing bodies. Men and women put in years on the independent circuit, crafting their style and gimmick in hopes of making it to the main event. But with the industry’s brutality, retirement comes extremely early for most wrestlers, and “one more match” has been a phrase that has haunted most of the locker room. This is the same trajectory that Ian Hodgkinson, better known as Vampiro, has travelled for his entire wrestling career.
Nail in the Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro documents the continual allure Hodgkinson feels towards to squared circle, exploring his first matches to his current career. Now semi-retired, the film finds Hodgkinson working as Director of Talent for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) out of Mexico. He screams into his headset and punches monitors, raging at the talent as they make mistakes and miss their cues, sometimes even going to the ring himself to make sure spots and storylines are progressing as they should. Hodgkinson proclaims many times throughout Nail in the Coffin how much he hates professional wrestling, yet he just can’t seem to pull himself away.
It’s obvious that Hodgkinson, like many of his fellow wrestlers, has a massive ego problem. Originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Hodgkinson has decided to move him and his daughter Dasha back to his hometown in an effort to get away from wrestling. Yet he still commutes to Mexico City for his AAA job. At the clinic when the doctor gently tells him the consequences of his wrestling career, everything from concussions to a broken neck, Hodgkinson shouts “I f*cking hate wrestling!” yet he keeps getting into the ring. He just can’t seem to get away from the competitive mentality of professional wrestling. Everyone wants to be the top guy, to be better than the guy next to you, and to be better than you were in your last match. Everything needs to be topped: it’s what the fans are expecting.
In these scenes, it’s hard to get behind Hodgkinson, there is a perpetual blur between him and Vampiro. But director Michael Paszt knows exactly when to paint Hodgkinson as an endearing man. Much of Hodgkinson’s softer side is shown through his interactions with his teenage daughter Dasha, making sure to keep building his relationship with her. He would do anything for his daughter and Dasha knows that, but she also knows that her dad will always be a wrestler in some way. Dasha is the one thing in Hodgkinson’s life that is making him question his role in the professional wrestling world. Hodgkinson is also vulnerable in telling his backstory throughout Nail in the Coffin. He eagerly discusses his early independent years, making a name for himself on the Mexican wrestling scene as El Vampiro Canadiense. He sadly recounts his youth in Thunder Bay, candidly discussing his sexual assault, also looks bitterly on his WCW years and his addiction issues. These scenes are minimal and sprinkled throughout Nail in the Coffin, packing a punch when they come to light.
Hodgkinson’s candidness is what makes Nail in the Coffin such a compelling documentary. It refrains from delving too far into kayfabe but still has respect for the business. Despite his protests, Hodgkinson still maintains a bizarre love and respect for professional wrestling, no matter how hard he tries to get away from the industry. Nail in the Coffin is a perfect story for devotees of the sport, marks always eager to eat up every detail of wrestling. It’s also a great look at luchador wrestling, which is completely different from what the majority see in the likes of WWE. Whilst those completely unfamiliar will find an interest in Hodgkinson’s relationship with his daughter Dasha, as the film comes down to career vs. family at the documentary’s core. Nail in the Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro is a portrait of a man who can’t escape his own art, always pulled back into the world he’s trying to escape from.