'Clayface' Review
Release Date: 10/23/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Horror. SciFi. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Warner Bros.
The Verdict: A Must-See
It’s no secret that DC has struggled to find its footing in the ever-expanding superhero cinematic universe. While it may not be as dire as the whole Sony of it all (sorry, Madame Web), its efforts have drawn far more mixed reactions than Marvel's unshakable Success. Enter Clayface: a Batman villain origin story that’s as gnarly as it is engaging.
Clayface is DC’s foray into body horror – it’s gross and earns its R-rating, so keep the kids at home. That departure from earlier installments should work in its favor. With tighter budgets and a new comic-book movie seemingly every week, audiences are understandably becoming more selective. Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is your classic riches-to-rags antihero; a handsome movie star who suffers a tragic fall from grace after a run-in with a mob boss leaves his face disfigured beyond recognition. With nothing to lose, Hagen enlists the help of Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), whose controversial test studies could be the only hope of regaining his looks and resuming his normal life.
Although the initial results of the treatment are promising, their success is short-lived. A near-catastrophic red-carpet experience is followed by an absolutely stomach-churning scene on an airplane (a warning to the squeamish: cover your eyes at that point). From there, Hagen’s self-destruction comes as quickly as his brief respite from facial deformity hell. As people in his circle start dying in increasingly twisted ways, Caitlyn’s fiancé, a cop (Max Minghella), becomes concerned Hagen may be to blame.
Tom Rhys Harries, whose resume up to now consists mostly of British television, is expertly cast in the titular role, slipping effortlessly between handsome leading man and tortured villain. His unrelenting commitment to the bit smooths over any unease from the first act’s occasional awkward scripting and odd tonal shifts. Director James Watkins crafts a world that is both terrifying and intoxicating, with the occasional needle drop that’s begging to linger a little longer. Taking cues from films like The Substance and even a little bit of Vanilla Sky, Clayface settles comfortably into the body horror genre by the end of its runtime and cements itself as an imperfect yet exciting addition to the DC universe.
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