'Clayface' Review: A Gory and Unsettling Descent into Gotham's Darkest Corners
By Jack Ransom - October 21, 2026
The third feature film in the DCU. Clayface sees rising Hollywood star Matt Hagen (Thomas Rhys Harries) descends into a horrifying revenge-filled monster when scientific ambition strips him of his identity and humanity.
Like with Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil last month, this horror adaptation was high on my anticipated list for a myriad of reasons: purely the fact that Clayface of all characters was making the jump from the page to the big screen, which made my comic book geek heart leap. Also, it was a concept penned by Mike Flanagan with the promise of a wholly horror experience, was too good to be true. Even greenlighting this truly showcased heads of studio James Gunn and Peter Safran’s commitment to crafting a varied and distinct cinematic universe.
Yet, beneath the anticipation were a few niggling worries. Were all the best shots going to be in the trailer? Will this end up feeling like one of Sony’s Spider-Man villain features? How far will they go with the horror? Thankfully these were put to rest early on, as it’s swiftly made abundantly clear that Clayface will not mess around with the 18 rating and what shape shifts between a gritty revenge tale, ego-centric spiralling drama, tragic romance and gooey body horror.
The first act is a little choppy. After an opening scene that introduces us to Matt’s Hollywood world, it swiftly moves into brutal face-carving territory, which then domino effects into a rapid descent into financial ruin, career tarnish and publicity scandal that sees Hagen hounded into Gotham’s Narrows district where he hides alone in his rotting apartment before discovering Dr. Caitlyn Corr’s (Naomi Ackie) experimental regenerative *ahem* substance.
Clayface really finds its footing once the chemicals start flooding through Matt’s system. The more the simultaneous melding of power, fear and rage bubbles the more ambitious and reckless he becomes. It’s an effective position for the character to thrive in, and very similarly to Joker’s Arthur Fleck, Hagen walks the tightrope of sympathetic, wronged and root-able, yet also undeniably is a cold, unhinged, sociopathic person with narcissistic traits. Thankfully it never dabbles in the anti-hero nonsense that held back elements of Venom, and pretty much the entirety of both Morbius & Kraven the Hunter.
Whilst the supporting character arcs may not be as fleshed out or engrossing (with the mob side of the story being very standard fair), the central dynamic and increasingly personal, close emotional knotting of Caitlyn & Matt as they spend more and more time together is a solid core, alongside his friendship-relationship with his best friend Corey (Joshua James) which ends in inevitable tragedy.
With a budget of around $30-40 million this isn’t out to deliver huge explosive set pieces as seen in Superman and Supergirl. Instead it is utilised efficiently and effectively on bursts of gloriously brutal splatter and body warping chaos. They absolutely nailed the rubbery, ‘alive’, melty, discomforting look as Matt struggles to stop his face literally falling off, the squint inducing eyelid-scissor scene and a myriad of scenes of his flesh re-attaching itself. As mentioned, violence-wise this doesn’t hold back: a particular pivotal revenge scene is savagely uproarious with fountains of crimson, there’s innards removed, body suffocation, head-pummels and plenty of bloody slashes are not shied away from. I won’t go into detail on Hagen’s "true form", however I will say the finale scene induces chills.
The way his body morphs flicker between eerie and instantaneous. Easily the standout set piece that showcases the cleverness of budgetary management and creative class of the talent both in front of and behind the camera is the dance-floor sequence in the second half which sees the titular villain seamlessly utilising his powers to cause gleeful carnage. The transformations happen with slick cuts, camera positioning and lighting flickers really keeps a sense of unpredictability bubbling. I really love the way the film looks too. It has a hazy, dreamlike quality to the proceedings with lots of lens flares, blurred auras and a myriad of lighting colours.
This is a star turn from Thomas Rhys Harries who really nails the meta-nature of an actor-playing-an-actor. From the opening scene his theatricality and passion is on display and his spiral into depression and rage, which then morphs into hope, obsession and relishing his warped revenge is a standout performance. Naomi Ackie is a strong counterweight in her good hearted, driven Dr. role which sees her questioning her own morals and decisions. Eddie Marsan, Max Minghella, David Dencik and Joana Ribeiro make up a solid support cast to back up the leads. Also, it was simultaneously jarring and welcome to see Rob Brydon here, particularly one in a certain mirror scene.
Clayface is a refreshing descent into full blown horror territory for the comic book genre. Thomas Rhys Harries is an excellent Hagen, the blend of practical and CGI effect work is effectively unnerving, the bursts of violence are splattery and the creative techniques used for the body morphing are well executed and the tone of Gotham is palpably pulpy. The pacing can feel quite choppy in the first act, the structure is familiar and the supporting cast aren’t as well rounded as they could be. However, this should still please horror and comic book fans alike.
'Clayface' releases in cinemas on October 23, 2026.
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Jack Ransom
Senior Writer
Jack loves to talk films: After a regular cinema trip, he likes to review them, rank them, react to them or even adding to his physical media collection!
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