Rob reviews: Clayface ￼

Making a comic book villain the protagonist of a feature film is always a high-wire act. That’s precisely why it came as such a surprise that for an early cinematic entry into the new DCU, the powers-that-be chose to center a gritty, hard-R horror project around a C-list Batman rogue: Clayface.

The Plot

Clayface tracks the tragic descent of Matt Hagen (played with an increasingly unhinged energy by Tom Rhys Harries), an actor who clawed his way up from the rough streets of Gotham only to have his career—and his face—utterly destroyed after crossing paths with local mob boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik). Desperate to reclaim his livelihood, Hagen submits to an experimental “Renu” treatment utilizing advanced nanocell technology overseen by Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie). The treatment works, but it comes with a terrifying cost: fits of rage trigger a terrifying physical transformation, allowing Hagen to violently stretch, distort, and reshape his flesh.

As an origin story, Hagen starts off leaning heavily into the tragic antihero mold—a desperate guy who simply loses control of a bad situation. But as the narrative spins on, it becomes increasingly difficult to sympathize with him. By the time he brutally turns on his own childhood friend, it becomes undeniable: Hagen has crossed completely into irredeemable monster territory. Even in the climax, when Dr. Corr is forced to confront him with the nanotech killswitch, the film refuses to give us a clean, triumphant “final girl” moment like you’d see in Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street. There is no clean victory here—just pure, lingering trauma.

My Take

Where the film truly succeeds is in its total commitment to being a straight-up horror flick. It takes genuine risks with the genre, leaning into a grimy aesthetic that owes far more to Cronenberg-style body horror than a typical caped adventure. The special effects used for the morphing sequences treat skin-stretching and facial reconstruction as visceral, agonizing physical events.

If there’s a disappointment, it’s that we don’t get enough of the classic, massive, mud-covered Goliath that comic fans know best. The film treats his towering, quicksand-like Clayface form as a slow-burn devolution rather than his primary state, giving us only brief, glimpses near the end as he completely shows his humanity. Maybe this was done for budgetary reasons.

That lack of fan service extends to the setting as well. Despite taking place in Gotham city – Batman‘s hometown, explicit Easter eggs are sparse. There are no winks to Wayne Enterprises or Bruce Wayne, and James Gunn’s new universe is keeping its caped crusader strictly under wraps for now. There are a few, but they are so “blink and you missed them“ moments that even Sierra and I had to do a little research after viewing the movie to find them.

Launching a brand-new cinematic universe with lower-tier character studies instead of tentpole heroes is certainly an unconventional strategy—mostly because doing the opposite would feel like copying the Marvel formula step-for-step. But while I respect the effort to try something different, it leaves you wondering about the long-term payoff. At this stage, I’m not sure audiences are actively clamoring for an endless slew of Clayface or Peacemaker style side-quests before the main heroes even take the field. As a DC comics fan for 40+ years, I want Batman, I want the Justice league and I want the Teen Titans

Ultimately, casual superhero moviegoers can probably skip Clayface—it’s an isolated, nasty little detour rather than an essential piece of the overarching DCU pipeline. But for hardcore comic fans and horror buffs willing to stomach a grim genre experiment, it’s an intriguing ride.

Final Take

I could take or leave Clayface, but you have to respect the grit. The filmmakers took a big swing. It’s not required viewing, but it’s not a bad way to spend two hours either.

Clayface is now playing in theaters.

Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Having crossed the 1,000-day milestone, I’m now charting the territory beyond. The mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.

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