The latest sympathetic villain story from DC Studios, Clayface, doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to storytelling. However, its impressive practical effects and VFX help push the boundaries of body horror, particularly through its disturbing prosthetics and horrific set pieces. Director James Watkins (Speak No Evil) brings Mike Flanagan (Carrie) and Hossein Amini’s (Obi-Wan Kenobi) screenplay to life in this psychological thriller and body horror film.
Clayface follows rising movie star Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), who is brutally disfigured by a local mob boss in Gotham City. Desperate to restore his original appearance, Matt volunteers as a test subject for an experimental treatment, only to experience a series of horrifying psychological and physical side effects that gradually transform his body into living clay. While the overall story doesn’t offer anything particularly groundbreaking, its familiar beats are handled well enough that they never bog down the increasingly grotesque transformations and disturbing set pieces involving Harries.
One thing I appreciated about Clayface was its decision not to overexplain the technology developed by Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) that ultimately transforms Matt into clay. Unfortunately, the film’s biggest weakness lies in some of its dialogue and how it builds toward Matt’s eventual transformation. There’s nothing more frustrating in a movie than watching a character say or do something that feels completely unnatural or unbelievable. To a certain extent, Clayface takes a similar approach to Joker, exploring the psychological deterioration of its male protagonist, although Matt’s descent unfolds under very different and increasingly bizarre circumstances.
“In a way, Clayface draws some parallels to The Substance, examining Hollywood’s obsession with beauty standards and aging.”
While I didn’t enjoy some of the emotional beats, I found the film’s underlying themes particularly interesting. Clayface explores self-harm and personal well-being in some fairly obvious ways. As Matt discovers how the clay works on his face, he becomes increasingly curious about its capabilities, going so far as to test its limits.
Watching Matt deliberately cut into the clay took me aback because, if some mysterious substance could repair your injuries, I feel most people wouldn’t be particularly interested in testing how far it could go. As vain as the entertainment industry is in this DC Studios universe, I don’t think anyone who has undergone cosmetic procedures like fillers or Botox would be eager to experiment with the limits of that work.
While the logic behind Matt’s decision to stress-test the clay frustrated me, it also explored just how fixated someone can become on the value of their appearance. In a way, Clayface draws some parallels to The Substance, examining Hollywood’s obsession with beauty standards and aging. Although Clayface uses Coast City and Gotham City as its backdrop, it reflects the dangers of Hollywood all too well. What surprised me, however, was how prominently themes of obsession were woven into the story.
“Despite a few missteps in the acting and storytelling, I would still recommend Clayface to both DC Comics fans and horror enthusiasts.”
At the end of the day, Clayface excels at its practical effects. Films like The Substance, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, Evil Dead Rise and Burn have accomplished some incredible feats with prosthetics, making full use of their special effects teams. Clayface deserves to be part of that conversation. I lost count of how many times I was amazed by the way Matt’s face could resemble Play-Doh or putty in various situations. Kudos to Harries for committing to the extensive prosthetics and delivering a performance within this massive, messy playground.
Part of my disappointment with the film came from Harries’ performance, particularly how he shifted between portraying Matt’s naivety and his increasingly psychopathic behaviour. Some up-and-coming actors have that secret sauce of natural charisma in their early roles, with the physical presence and screen appeal to complement their line delivery. Maybe I simply need to see Harries in more roles, but even when he was chewing up the scenery in Clayface, I couldn’t quite buy his transformation from a sympathetic, down-on-his-luck actor into a villain in the making.
I thought Ackie did much of the heavy lifting when it came to building the chemistry and emotional connection between Matt and Caitlyn. My last points of reference for her performances were Mickey 17 and Blink Twice, and she was superb in both supporting and leading roles. In Clayface, she isn’t the traditional Scream Queen or Final Girl often found in horror movies, but something more. Her performance made me think about how some modern horror films are moving beyond the classic tropes to better reflect the dangerous situations women face in the real world and the stories of how they survive them.
Despite the supernatural elements in Obsession, that’s what made Inde Navarrette’s performance as Nikki so compelling, particularly in the way art can imitate life. Ackie brings that same level of resourcefulness and agency to Caitlyn in Clayface. Max Minghella also delivers a strong performance as Gotham detective John Borrelli, who happens to be Caitlyn’s boyfriend and possesses some top-notch investigative skills. I liked how he seemed to have Batman-level detective abilities without Bruce Wayne’s social skills. Minghella’s performance was roughly on par with his similar, yet distinctly different, role as a detective in Spiral.
Clayface has plenty of moments to shine, particularly through its incredible practical effects, VFX, and inventive filmmaking techniques used to bring the bloodier sequences to life. The technical achievements in body horror are among the film’s greatest strengths. Despite a few missteps in the acting and storytelling, I would still recommend Clayface to both DC Comics fans and horror enthusiasts. I got the impression that both audiences were well represented at my screening, and everyone seemed to find something they could connect with. Just don’t bring anyone who can’t handle skin-on-skin absorption, or they might puke.
