Photo Courtesy Of: When To Stream

Some movies are an absolute blast, start to finish. Some movies are intentionally slogs to get through. Few movie genres are better encapsulated by those extremes than body horror. For every enjoyable final act found in movies like “The Substance,” “Scanners” or “Re-Animator,” there are just as many intentionally miserable movies, like the “Human Centipede” movies or “Martyrs.” DC Studios’ newest outing, “Clayface,” finds itself among the former. While it does have heavier moments that can be upsetting, its ups are far more frequent than its downs, leading to a rather fun time. 

For those who are fans of the genre and are worried that the DC logo on “Clayface” means that it’s a sanitized take on body horror (baby’s first “Fly,”) worry not. “Clayface” is a body horror movie that earns its R rating, and I don’t say that lightly. Although there are a couple points where you can feel the creative team holding back, or not showing everything they could, it is still a gory and gnarly body horror. It doesn’t really get stuck in the weeds of purely being a gross-out movie (like “The Human Centipede 3”), but it does still have some very well-done disgusting effects that you have to sit with. However, this does mean that if you’re a curious Batman or DC fan who happens to be squeamish, I would suggest sitting this one out, or at least waiting for a home release. 

The director, James Watkins, utilizes a rather fluid style that suits this movie very well. He’s able to juggle the glitz and glam of Matt Hagen’s stardom with the grimy, neon-soaked streets of Gotham during Hagen’s descent. This juggling act of styles is most apparent in one scene near the end that has flashy editing and visuals without being disorienting, slick action that doesn’t lose its weight, and style with plenty substance. That sequence gave me a sense of joy that can really only be caused by something that is so confident and competent. 

Furthermore, Mike Flanagan’s script shines in this movie. Earlier this year, I had heard there were some changes to his initial work, which worried me. However, I think the changes weren’t all that noticeable, and it still had plenty of the hallmarks of his work. Outside of the strong character writing, there are moments that could flip your stomach in how uncomfortable they were to sit with. There were a couple points of clunky dialogue, and some rushed story beats, but those were few and very far between, and what was between those were great. 

However, the good directing and strong script wouldn’t mean much if the cast couldn’t sell the material, and they sell it quite well. The lead, Tom Rhys Harries, gives an excellent performance as this layered character goes through the story. He sells the highs and lows of Hagen’s decay without missing a beat, and the same goes for most of the rest of the cast. Although there are some moments where there are some weaker performances, they never are too distracting, and they never last for too long. 

The collective efforts of this crew helps to differentiate “Clayface” from the rest of the burgeoning DCU. You likely wouldn’t confuse a still from this movie with a still from “Lanterns” or “Superman,” but “Clayface” still fits with the rest of this world like a glove. Outside of that, the quality of the movie helps it justify its story, and it will likely enrich any future appearances of Clayface, wherever he shows up next.  

Finally, the movie also has some fun references to what came before it. Among them are references to “The Thing,” “The Shining,” and “The Fly” (and probably some other ones that I missed) that are fun little Easter eggs for fans of the horror genre. For Batman and DC fans, there are plenty of references to iconic stories and characters to catch (with quite a few at the very start!) I didn’t find the references to be overindulgent either; they never really break the flow of the story just for the sake of a reference.  

In summary, “Clayface” is an excellent body horror movie that stands out from the rest of the genre while still fitting right in. Furthermore, it serves as a wonderful outing into the DCU that justifies its existence and then some.  

 -Colin Fiscus

Batman has many villains: the Joker, the Riddler, Mr. Freeze and Clayface. The villains don’t usually get their own movies. The Joker is the only one to get a solo film just about them and not Batman. This is super unusual, and I hope it pays off big time in the end for DC Studios, run by James Gunn and Peter Safran. 

James Watkins, who I really like, directs the film, and they got the perfect guy for the job. In 2024, he directed “Speak No Evil,” starring James McAvoy. While it’s not body horror like “Clayface” it still is a really effective horror film. While I think his 2024 remake wasn’t as good as the original, it was still a really good film that I have watched many times. However, I do have a few issues with it that keep it from being a great film. 

“Clayface” is about a rising Hollywood leading man whose life is tragically ruined by a local crime boss. Desperate to rebuild his life, he volunteers for an experimental scientific treatment that restores his appearance but makes him lose his grip on reality and as a result he turns into a monster. 

Honestly, that is probably one of the best superhero movies I’ve ever seen in my life. Before I get to the negatives, let’s start with the positives. For starters, we must talk about Tom Rhys Harries, who plays Matt Hagen in the film. What a performance! He did something that was really hard to do, especially when playing a villain. Harries, while being really evil, makes you feel so much sympathy for his character at times throughout the movie.  

Now onto the negatives. I really only have one problem with the movie. In the beginning I felt that it was really rushed. About 10 minutes into the film Hagen begins to change, and we don’t really get time to set him up as a human beforehand or see him as a Hollywood A-list actor. 

 Mike Flanagan, who just created the new “Carrie” TV show starring Summer H. Howell, which I love, wrote the script and came up with the story for the film. I love him, but I really think he should’ve made the beginning just a little bit longer so we could’ve gotten to know Hagen better as a normal human before his life changes forever. 

 Overall, this movie made me feel like there is so much hope for the future of Hollywood because movies can be different and original and still be powerful. Honestly, if you’re on the fence about going to see this movie, you should because, in the end, I think you would probably love it. 

-Hunter Eagan