‘Clayface’: DC Tries Body Horror in Fun, Messy Comic Book Movie
In most of the reviews I’ve written over comic book movies, I have brought up how my biggest issue with the genre as a whole is that most of them tend to feel the same. This is more common with Marvel, but DC isn’t immune to this either. This can be seen more prominently in the DCEU era (from Man of Steel to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) even though there is at least some slight differentiation here and there between those films. Superhero movie fatigue is a very real thing, so any break from the sameness found within most films within the genre is welcome. That is certainly the case with Clayface, a film about the DC character of the same name. Rather than take the form of your average comic book movie, this film is more of a genre exercise, leaning into the body horror elements of the character. It is also a standalone film and doesn’t require viewing tons of media or knowing all the lore beforehand. It is pretty bold to do something like this, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for DC and superhero movies in general. That being said, Clayface is quite messy, and you can sense some hesitation in letting it get as nasty or as dark as it wants to be. But at its best, it feels fresher than most other recent comic book movies and is quite fun.
Actor Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and is at the peak of his career. While out celebrating getting an Academy Award nomination, he meets actress Mia Torrez (Joana Ribeiro). His best friend Corey (Joshua James) warns him to stay away from her because she is the girlfriend of crime boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik). The next morning, he is ambushed by Szabo and his henchmen, who horribly disfigure him. Matt tries to press charges, but isn’t successful, and his career takes a huge hit due to his appearance and allegations that he actually drugged Mia. Looking for a way to get his life back to normal, Matt finds out about a doctor named Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) who is developing an experimental treatment involving nanobots that can heal damaged skin and tissue. He tracks her down and she reluctantly agrees to help him. As he receives the treatment, he begins to be set on revenge, which sees him gradually transform into a horrifying monster.
It is rather refreshing to see a comic book movie make a concerted effort to try something different and function as more of a genre exercise. Other superhero movies have tried to take inspiration from specific styles and types of film, but most of them end up feeling like more of the same despite their best efforts. Clayface succeeds in feeling like its own thing, with only minor references to Gotham City to tie it to DC in general. It ends up being a self-contained blend of thriller, body horror, and villain origin story, and it makes for an entertaining watch. The body horror elements are especially impressive, as they are gross, unsettling, and integral to the film as a whole. There is a particular scene on an airplane that had me wincing the whole way through. I can’t help but feel the film initially went even harder on the body horror front, but were either forced to dial it down or purposely toned it down. Despite this, the genre elements of the film are its strongest assets and help it stand apart from other comic book movies.
The film was originally proposed by beloved filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who was originally going to direct this before dropping out due to scheduling conflicts. He was replaced by James Watkins who is best known for films like The Woman in Black and Speak No Evil. I think it helps to have someone experienced with horror at the helm, but I can’t help but wonder if some of the issues I have with the film would still be present if Flanagan directed. Mind you, I’m not as crazy about Flanagan as most, but he was very passionate about this project and I’d be curious to see what this would have been had he directed it. Thankfully, Watkins’s direction is pretty good and he bridges the gap between standard comic book movie and horror quite well. He also has a good handle on the film’s violence and isn’t afraid to get nasty with some of it. Watkins also delivers one of his best setpieces with a sequence that takes place at a nightclub. This sequence gives us a little bit of everything: action, comedy, dancing, and shapeshifting, to name a few. This scene could have felt overwhelming or scattered, but it comes together so well and is undoubtedly the film’s biggest highlight.
The film as a whole is a bit scattered, and you get the sense that it may have been hacked to ribbons in the editing room at the request of the studio. In the first act, things happen so fast that it is barely comprehensible. On one hand, I appreciate that the film doesn’t waste much time, but on the other, I wish it would have let things breathe a bit more. One of my biggest gripes is that everything and everyone turns against Matt following his accident in a way that just doesn’t feel realistic. Yes, this is a film about a man who becomes a shapeshifting monster, but it’s hard for me to believe that the entire world is against this one guy to such a strong degree. Funny enough, this is one of my biggest issues with another DC film, 2019’s Joker. In both cases, it feels like the opposition to our protagonist is more of a means to manipulate the audience to feel bad for our protagonist instead of something more believable or genuine. The film’s emotions feel more confused than anything, and some of its moments that are clearly meant to garner a strong reaction fall flat. It is clear that the film wants to be more than simple entertainment, but it doesn’t quite succeed on that front and feels a bit shallow when it comes to its emotionalism.
At least the film is able to fall back on its cast, all of whom are quite talented. However, it's the leads that really stand out here. Tom Rhys Harries is not an actor I was familiar with prior to this film, but I was really impressed by his work here. He is extremely striking, and there is a chameleonic energy he has that is great for this role (although I wish it was capitalized on more in the film). He is able to elevate certain aspects of the character, and he has a pathos to him that helps cut through some of the film’s scrambled emotions. Naomi Ackie is also great, although I wish she had more to do here. The film tees her up as if she would be more substantial, but she’s a bit thinly written. At least Ackie has such a strong screen presence that she is able to make something of it, but she does feel a tad overqualified here.
Clayface is flawed and messy, as it struggles to decide what it wants to be. When it comes together, it is a fun time, but it is a bit frustrating when it is in flux. If anything, the film has the right ideas, it just doesn’t follow through on some of them. I think this could have been something great if it had more focus, but it still has some strong moments and I appreciate that it is at least trying something different within the world of comic book movies. What Clayface ends up being may not be what DC had in mind, but here’s hoping they can learn from what didn’t work here and use it to make even better films in the future.
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