TL;DR – While there are moments of brilliance and a real commitment to body horror, a flaw in the central premise and some very clunky dialogue hold it back.
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.
Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.
Clayface Review Introduction
In today’s review, we are looking at a film that is in many ways an experiment: are audiences willing to sit through a hard body-horror exploration of the comic book world? That might indeed turn out to be a hard sell. Indeed, the character of Clayface has gone from being completely off my radar to having two or three different versions in the last few years alone. However, the DCU is not afraid of some experiments, but will it be the Joker or Joker 2?
So, to set the scene, Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is the talk of the film scene in Coastal City, even earning his first Academy Award nomination. However, when he is back in Gotham City for publicity, the city he and his best friend (Joshua James) grew up in, they head out to the club. The music is bouncing, the lights are flashing, and the dancing is good. But while his friend tries to warn Matt, nothing stops the actor from dancing and spending the night with Theresa (Ruby Sear), the girlfriend of local crime lord Markos Szabo (David Dencik). After finding them in bed together, he promptly rips Matt’s face apart before bribing everyone involved to make the problem disappear. Matt is ruined and without hope when he sees a news report of the work Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) is doing with nanobots, and maybe there is hope for him still.
Landing the Assignment
Where Clayface works the best is in the performances that bring the understandable pain to the situation. Tom Rhys Harries is compelling as Matt, the poor kid who came from nothing to be almost someone before being crushed by his own city. He brings a humanity to the role that you desperately need, especially when things start getting revenge-y. The basic framework of the film is not anything new, but it works with the narrative they wanted to tell, and you do feel an understanding of why he would go for revenge. It is not as solid as ‘they killed my dog’, but it is pretty good. The visual effects of the clay transformation worked well, because even though it might have been on the low end, the plasticity of the renders worked in the favour of the character rather than pulling you out. Though the body horror will very much pull you out depending on your gross-out threshold. This all combines into a couple of solid action/horror sequences, of which the nightclub is one of the best I have seen this year. Indeed, I love when other characters have to pretend to be Tom, playing Matt, playing them, playing their characters.
Missing the Boat
While there were several strong features of the film, there were also some core foundational issues that significantly held the movie back. The first was the set-up of the inciting incident. We are told that Matt was a poor kid from the roughest part of Gotham, but then the film wants us to believe that a kid who grew up there would not know it is a bad idea to mess with the girlfriend of a mobster. It just does not pass the pub test because it creates a disconnect with how the world works. Nothing in his character tells you his time in not-Los Angeles has made him so disconnected from reality that he would have thought that would work out. That he would ignore the survival instincts that you get living in such an environment, especially after you were warned. Given this is what moves all the action along, it feels as if the film entered a sprint with its legs tied together. Add to this some very clunky dialogue, a confused period setting that does not know when the film is set, character motivations that feel forced, and an ending that feels like it drags a boulder behind it. While it is good you have Eddie Marsan playing a creepy little guy, that can’t balance out the compounding problems that keep piling up. Much like Clayface, it feels like the film can never find a solid footing to propel it forward. All of these factors create a barrier to engaging with the film, and you will struggle to connect with a film that holds you at arm’s length.
Recommendation
In the end, do we recommend Clayface? This is a tricky one, because from my perspective, I don’t know if I would recommend it to anyone. However, there are truly solid moments in the film, and I know the style of horror they are going for will appeal to people. So, if you are okay seeing experimental rhinoplasty in gory close-up detail, then this might be the film for you.
Have you watched Clayface? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Clayface, we would recommend Resident Evil to you because it brings intensity and body horror to the equation as our helpless lead has to find their place in a crumbling world.
By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.
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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Clayface
Directed by – James Watkins
Story by – Mike Flanagan
Screenplay by – Mike Flanagan & Hossein Amini
Based on – Clayface created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, & Sheldon Moldoff
Music by – Volker Bertelmann
Cinematography by – Rob Hardy
Edited by – Jon Harris
Production/Distribution Companies – DC Studios, 6th & Idaho, Troll Court Entertainment, The Safran Company, Universal Pictures, & Warner Bros Pictures.
Starring – Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, Ruby Sear, Eddie Marsan, Joshua James, Rob Brydon, & David Dencik
With – Nancy Carroll, Sam Hazeldine, Wil Coban, Daniel Betts, Tanya Moodie, Jake Curran, Enzo Squillino Jr., Michael Shaeffer, Adam Silver, & Jack Colgrave Hirst
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: 16; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 18; United States: R
