The theatrical releases of James Gunn’s new DC Universe are already off to a rocky start. Off the back of the successful debut of Superman, this year’s Supergirl brought things crashing down to Earth in fairly remarkable fashion, becoming one of the biggest box office flops of the decade so far. So, in desperate need of a win, telling a villain origin story is definitely a risk, especially given that comic book movies as a whole haven’t exactly found success going down that road. Just ask Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter. But on this occasion, it might just be a gamble that pays off, with Clayface delivering a gruesome return to form for Gunn and co.
Brought to life by director James Watkins, working from a screenplay by the legendary Mike Flanagan alongside fellow writer Hossein Amini, Clayface follows Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), a Coast City superstar actor who has just been nominated for an Academy Award. Seemingly on top of the world, Hagen makes the disastrous decision to sleep with the girlfriend of mafia boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik) while on a night out in a Gotham City nightclub with his childhood best friend Corey (Joshua James). It’s a choice that results in Szabo slicing Hagen’s face to pieces, leaving him completely unrecognizable.
With his career in tatters and his acting fortune drained by his financial manager (Eddie Marsan), Hagen is resigned to his new normal when a revolutionary treatment developed by Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) presents itself. She has come up with a procedure that combines AI with nanotech organisms capable of repairing cells and skin tissue. It’s the miracle that Hagen desperately needs, but it soon comes at a price as the mutated technology gives him dangerous new powers that he leverages to embark on a murderous revenge mission.
While undeniably a fairly simplistic and somewhat generic villain origin story, that arguably becomes one of the movie’s biggest strengths. Rather than attempt big heroic swings or unsuccessfully reinvent the wheel, Clayface sticks to familiar genre tropes that audiences have previously enjoyed. And because they’re executed so well throughout, it makes for a thoroughly entertaining ride that comfortably establishes itself as one of the strongest standalone villain stories put to screen to date, although that isn’t exactly hard given what’s come before it.
That’s not to say the story is perfect, in fact, far from it. In ensuring there’s no danger of an inflated runtime, Clayface occasionally falls foul of not spending enough time on certain moments to ensure they land with the necessary punch. That’s particularly evident when it comes to Matt’s relationships with childhood friend Corey and love interest Dr. Caitlyn Corr. Both are incredibly complex dynamics that have a fundamental impact on the narrative, yet ultimately feel somewhat underdeveloped.
Those relationships aren’t helped by the dialogue issues that plague the script throughout, which is particularly unexpected given Mike Flanagan’s involvement in the writing process. At times, the words being spoken feel like an afterthought, as though more attention was given to crafting how the plot unfolds than what the characters actually have to say. That results in a few scenes becoming uncomfortable to sit through, with exchanges that don’t resemble anything a normal person would say. Ultimately, it leaves certain conversations feeling forced and unnatural rather than like something that would ever actually happen.
That said, Clayface, to its credit, knows exactly what it wants to bring to the table, and that’s shock and awe. It absolutely delivers on that promise. From the very get-go, as Matt Hagen’s face gets carved to pieces, to the moment he takes his final form, the movie provides a ton of grotesque, disturbing, and sickening imagery unlike anything the comic book genre has ever dared to bring to life. It results in multiple scenes requiring you to watch through the gaps in your fingers, as you can’t help but squirm and wince at the vomit-inducing, graphic nature of wounds that wouldn’t look out of place on a battlefield.
A lot of the credit for how effective the imagery is needs to go to the incredible makeup team behind Clayface. Headed up by supervisor Emmy Beech, every single individual within the department deserves an immense amount of praise for creating a completely immersive experience and some of the best body horror visuals in recent memory. Their work is so outstanding that the movie instantly catapults itself into awards conversations on the strength of these achievements alone. In fact, it’s hard to think of any makeup effects that stand out quite as much as what’s on display here, so we could very well be talking about an award-winning production in just a few months’ time.
Equally impressive is how expertly edited certain sequences are. The biggest highlight comes in the final act, as a revenge-fueled Matt takes multiple different forms while fighting his way through a nightclub, unleashing his vengeance on those who wronged him. Combining brilliantly choreographed fight scenes with the constant changes in Matt’s appearance presented a real banana skin that could easily have ruined the immersion. However, thanks to some slick and seamless editing, the entire sequence comes together beautifully and stands out as easily the best scene of the movie.
Thankfully, unlike many superhero movies of recent times, Clayface manages, for the most part, to steer clear of the over-the-top and forced humor that has plagued the genre for far too long. That’s not to say it isn’t funny, because there are certainly moments that will get audiences laughing out loud. But there’s a much more considered approach to finding the right balance between comedy and horror, and it’s one that the filmmakers largely get right, adding to the overall experience.
Tom Rhys Harries proves to be a real astute pickup for the DCU. He brilliantly captures every side of Matt Hagen he’s asked to portray, and even despite the clunky lines he’s forced to deliver, he remains the most convincing element of the entire production. It’s a performance that proves he has a bright future ahead of him with DC and beyond. His fellow cast members, though, don’t quite reach the same heights. None of them are outright bad, but for someone of Naomi Ackie’s caliber especially, you’d certainly hope for a little better. Meanwhile, supporting actors Eddie Marsan, Max Minghella, and Joshua James all turn in serviceable performances without doing much to stand out.
The same, unfortunately, can’t be said for David Dencik, though. He’s the movie’s main villain, supposedly a fearless, mobbed-up gangster who answers to nobody. With that in mind, you’d expect him to completely dominate whenever he’s on screen, striking fear into everyone around him. Unfortunately, Dencik never manages to capture that intimidating presence, with his line delivery in particular proving to be a huge disappointment. Rather than elevating the material, his portrayal detracts from some of the more carefully crafted elements, becoming much more of a distraction than an asset.
While definitely not a slam dunk by any means, Clayface represents a huge step in the right direction for the theatrical output of James Gunn’s DC Universe. The writing and storytelling certainly need to improve going forward, but as villain origin stories go, this one has achieved exactly what it set out to do, and that’s leave fans baying for more of Matt Hagen on our screens. One thing is for sure, though, Clayface shows that you don’t always need to play it safe in the superhero genre, and committing to an R rating can provide a far more rewarding experience.
