REVIEW: ‘Clayface’ Is A Villainous And Thrilling Masterpiece

You might know the character of Clayface as a famous Batman villain, but do you know his origin? When we first find Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) in Clayface, he seemingly has it all. A thriving acting career takes him coast to coast, earning fame and acclaim that lead to his first Oscar nomination, and he’s only on the upswing from there.

But when a night out in Gotham with his best friend Corey (Joshua James) goes horribly wrong, resulting in the mob slicing up his face the next morning, Hagen’s life falls completely apart, leading him to the brilliant Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), whose seemingly miraculous treatment will change Matt’s life in ways he, nor anyone else, could never anticipate.

Written by horror icon Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, and directed by James Watkins, Clayface is not about a misunderstood or overtly sympathetic character. It is the singular origin story of this iconic Batman villain, and Flanagan and Amini treat the character with that foundational understanding. Their script provides a template, like Superman before it, for adapting the comics (and, in this case, Clayface from Batman: The Animated Series) with a sincere dedication to what made audiences fall in love with the characters in their original mediums.

The core of Clayface is understood and maintained throughout.

You can do virtually anything with these characters as long as they remain true to the core of who they are, and the writers and director of Clayface understand that notion intimately, far more so than we’ve seen in most other blockbuster superhero films in our current era.

More relevantly, this story is filled to the brim with commentary on the looks industry, celebrity, corruption, and other subjects, as any compelling story set in Gotham City should be. You don’t even need the main hero, in this case Batman, to tell a compelling story with these villain characters, and Clayface exceeds tremendously in that regard by squarely focusing on being a character-building piece, with magnificent horror to boot. 

Watkins directs with subtlety, honing in on the intimacy of Hagen and his various relationships, and ensures that the film is a gradual crescendo that becomes increasingly thrilling as you follow along. Clayface balances between being a horror and thriller piece, focusing on body horror in appropriate character-building moments for Hagen while keeping you gripped as you anticipate what the character is going to do next on his descent into villainy. It’s an excellent result that relies heavily on Watkins’ impressively intentional direction, and will have you excited, horrified, morose, and consistently engaged. 

Watkins’ excellent direction guides us through Matt Hagen’s descent into villainy.

Rhys Harries is sublime as Matt Hagen AKA “Clayface.” Like his character, he masters his body and voice, embodying the role with such ferocity that he keeps you gripped every time he’s on screen. His self-pity is understandable as his world keeps crashing down, and his quiet rage slowly builds. Combined with the special effects, it makes for a standout lead performance. Watkins’ direction ensures that while he is sympathetic, he is not in the right for his actions, with Rhys Harries diving his character headfirst into the pit of revenge without any hesitation. 

Ackie is subtle, ambitious, and sympathetic as Dr. Caitlyn Corr, a genetics researcher who is both eager to help Hagen and take advantage of the keen opportunity that he offers her. She knows that she’s taking significant risks in having him be her test subject, but the allure of the discoveries she and Hagen make on this journey is too tempting to pass up. Ackie plays her role with mounting regret, worry, and care, making her a superb character that goes far beyond being Hagen’s love interest, but a powerful player in her own right. 

The rest of the cast does an excellent job, with almost all of them having interiority as ancillary yet pivotal players in Hagen’s downfall. James plays a regretful and pitiful weasel of a character in Corey; Joana Ribeiro plays a duplicitous and self-interested player in Mia; David Dencik is terrifying as crime boss Markos Szabo; and Max Minghella is superb as Dr. Corr’s fiancé, Gotham cop John Borrelli, who never falls into a caricature of jealousy.

The special effects lend themselves to the sheer body horror on display.

The VFX and special effects are fantastic, subtle enough to look seamless, and bombastic in the moments they need to be. The ghoulish effects of Clayface’s decomposing body, bloodwork, and seamless changing faces are incredible to witness. The prowess of the VFX and special effects teams are on full display throughout Clayface, and will make you scream, shut your eyes in terror, and simultaneously only want to watch more. 

The music by Volker Bertelmann perfectly sets the tune and mood of Clayface, immersing us further in the psychological turmoil of Hagen and his downfall. The mood is morose, terrifying, and above all haunting, again perfected by Bertelmann’s score. 

Clayface is a fantastic story about the downfall of an A-list actor and the horrific repercussions that come with it. With superb performances, an incredibly smart and character-driven script by Flanagan and Amini that stays true to the core of the comic character, excellent direction from Watkins, stellar effects, horrific and thrilling moments, and great music by Bertelmann, it’s a treat for Gotham City fans and horror fans alike.

Clayface is an unadulterated cinematic win for DC Studios, and I can’t wait to see more from them if this is the creative energy they put into their future films. 

Clayface is available now on VOD.