James Gunn and Peter Safran’s time at the helm of DC has certainly been a wild ride. Superman gave DC exactly what they needed in terms of both critical acclaim and box office success; however, things have gotten a little bumpy since then. Season 2 of Peacemaker was good enough but didn’t have nearly as much of an impact as season one. Supergirl didn’t soar as high as her Kryptonian cousin did and as such, became a huge money loser for Warner Bros. On the other hand, Lanterns seemed to get everything back on track, and now we’re heading towards DC’s next major film release, Clayface.
With Clayface, we were promised a drastic shift from the traditional tones of comic book adaptations, venturing instead into the world of horror and tragedy. And considering how awful villain-led solo films have been over the years, with the exception of Joker, I was particularly curious to see how it would all be executed.
Clayface’s dedication to tragedy and body horror would make David Cronenberg giddy. A gnarly piece of work that sets itself apart from the comic book films that have come before it through its grotesque body transformations. The film certainly never reaches greatness, as its inability to fully balance its camp, tragedy, and viciousness prevents it from ever truly coming together. Still, it’s a film that deserves praise for its balls-to-the-wall approach to being different.
Clayface’s story begins with Matt Hagen’s downfall. Hagen was on top of the world. He had just been nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor, and he thought nothing could go wrong. However, Matt made a mistake that changed his life forever. A one-night stand resulted in him getting horribly disfigured by a known mob boss. To get back his looks, Matt volunteered as a test subject, but the experimental treatment came with horrifying side effects that turned his body into shape-shifting clay.
Written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, Clayface’s screenplay gets the Matt Hagen character right. In claylike fashion, Flanagan and Amini mold elements of 2023’s Batman: One Bad Day – Clayface and the legendary “Feat of Clay” two-parter from Batman: The Animated Series to create a true villain origin story that feels earned and not forced. Where the script fails the film is in its forced romantic dynamics and camp throughout. At times, the tonal whiplash diminishes the impact of its character deconstruction.
What truly elevates the film is the dedicated performance by Tom Rhys Harries. Clayface’s smaller scope gives Harries the canvas to craft a grounded character arc that is tragic and heartbreaking. Harries evokes the magnetic charm of Matt’s rising Hollywood career and, quite frankly, the vanity that comes with it. He blends both with a horrifying menace that allows audiences to root for and dread Matt Hagen by the time he reaches his final form. The majority of the mob characters are as generic and villain 101 as they come, something that always brings these genre films down for me. Naomi Ackie, however, is sensational. Her dry humor allows the film to breathe a bit throughout its somber and dread-inducing moments.
Clayface was sold on its body horror, and as an admirer of all things horror, I was fully enthralled by director James Watkins’ dedication to its gore. From homages to the tragic moments in The Fly to even a small nod to Society, the film’s blood, guts, and gore deliver. I shit you not, there’s even a shout-out to The Godfather Part II, and as that’s my favorite film of all time, it’s always welcome.
Rob Hardy’s cinematography works best when capturing Matt’s transformation, especially a stunning bathtub shot that encapsulates just how far his shape has shifted. However, Gotham City’s look leaves much to be desired. Listen, I know it can be clichéd and pretentious to talk about a “city becoming a character within the film,” but this is one of the rare times when Gotham City fails to stand out and create its own identity. Given that this is the first glimpse of Gotham in Gunn and Safran’s DCU, I wanted more.
Clayface is far from a perfect film, and its tonal inconsistencies ultimately keep it from reaching the greatness it occasionally flirts with. However, there’s something to be said for a comic book film that’s willing to get its hands dirty and venture into territory we rarely see explored within the genre. Led by a terrific Tom Rhys Harries performance and some truly gnarly body horror, Clayface doesn’t always work, but I applaud its audacity. If this is the direction Gunn and Safran are willing to explore with their DCU, then sign me up.
