The first reactions to “Clayface,” DC Studios’ first horror thriller, are in, and audiences may want to brace themselves for one seriously gruesome trip to Gotham.
Rated R-18 by the MTRCB and screening uncut, the highly anticipated film has earned early praise for its disturbing body horror, emotional storytelling, and standout performance from lead star Tom Rhys Harries.
Directed by James Watkins, known for “Speak No Evil,” and co-written by acclaimed horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan, whose credits include “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Carrie,” and “Doctor Sleep,” “Clayface” puts one of Gotham’s cult-favorite villains at the center of his own tragic story.
From Rising Star to Gotham Nightmare
“Clayface” follows Matt Hagen, played by Harries, whose meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man comes to a devastating halt after the actions of a local crime boss leave him horribly disfigured.
Abandoned by his team and with seemingly nothing left, Matt turns to a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously restores his former appearance.
But there is a terrifying catch.
The treatment begins affecting his grip on reality, sending him down an increasingly destructive path fueled by obsession, rage, and revenge.
Watch the trailer:
Critics Praise Its Gore, Horror, and Heart
Early reactions have highlighted the film’s unsettling atmosphere and creative use of Clayface’s abilities.
Podcaster Brandon Davis called the movie “freakishly awesome,” praising Watkins’ vision of Gotham and Harries’ lead performance.
Watkins makes an unsettling Gotham and gets very creative with Clayface’s abilities. Gruesome, dark moments and twisted ideas at play. Tom Rhys Harries is a star, literally in the movie and for his performance. Dude kills it. Well done by all.
Meanwhile, Chris Killian of ComicBook.com described “Clayface” as “incredible,” applauding the way the movie transforms Matt Hagen’s tragic backstory into a “wildly gory spectacle.”
Killian also praised its unusual combination of intense body horror and classic gothic romance.
It molds Matt Hagen’s tragic backstory into a wildly gory spectacle. There are some crazy unique body horror moments that’ll make you squirm, but what I loved most is it’s also a heartfelt throwback to a bygone era of classic gothic romance films.
And for fans hoping to see Batman, Killian had one piece of advice: enjoy “Clayface” for what it is.
The movie does such a fantastic job introducing us to Clayface, it’ll be an absolute shame if we don’t see him go toe-to-toe with Batman in the future. However, don’t go hoping for Bats. Just go see Clayface because it’s an unsettling and viscerally grotesque monster movie.
A “Hard R” Addition to the DCU
Steven Weintraub of Collider also gave the film a strong recommendation, describing it as an accessible entry in the DC Universe that does not require audiences to know DC lore beforehand.
Clayface was fantastic. An awesome addition to the DCU that doesn’t require any knowledge of DC to enjoy. It’s a hard R and loaded with brutal scenes that really surprised me. Audience freaked out a few times during my screening to what was being depicted on screen. Strong recommend.
He also emphasized just how intense the movie gets, calling it “a hard R” filled with brutal moments that reportedly shocked audiences during his screening.
According to Weintraub, moviegoers “freaked out a few times” because of what was being shown on screen.
Tom Rhys Harries Earns Star-Making Praise
The praise for Harries has been especially strong.
POC Culture described “Clayface” as “so gross” yet impossible to look away from, calling the film a “masterpiece” despite not typically being a fan of horror.
The outlet praised Harries for delivering a “star-making performance” that is both charismatic and horrifying, while also highlighting Naomi Ackie as an equally powerful presence.
I watched the entire movie like this I’m blown away.
A Horror Movie Made for the Big Screen
Jenna Anderson of Go Read Some Comics also urged audiences to experience the film in a packed cinema.
#Clayface completely blew me away. It’s disgusting, inventive, and astonishingly funny and earnest, she said in a post. It slots into the DCU so effortlessly. You owe it to yourself to see it in a theater filled with other people’s reactions.
Anderson also praised how naturally the film fits into the larger DCU, adding: “You owe it to yourself to see it in a theater filled with other people’s reactions.”
With early viewers describing the movie as grotesque, heartfelt, inventive, and surprisingly funny, “Clayface” appears ready to show audiences a very different side of the DC Universe.
“Clayface” Opens October 21
“The Batman” director Matt Reeves co-produced the film alongside James Gunn, Peter Safran, and others.
“Clayface” also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan.
“Clayface” opens in Philippine cinemas October 21. It is rated R-18 by the MTRCB and will screen uncut. Distributed locally by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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