Clayface (dir. James Watkins)

by Jack Martin | Oct 22, 2026

Certificate: 18

Running Time: 108 mins

UK Distributor: DC Studios/Warner Bros

UK Release Date: 23 October 2026

WHO’S IN CLAYFACE?

Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, David Dencik, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll, Joshua James, Francesca Corney, Ruby Sear, Wil Coban

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

James Watkins (director), Hossein Amini and Mike Flanagan (writers), James Gunn, Lynn Harris, Matt Reeves and Peter Safran (producers), Volker Bertelmann (composer), Rob Hardy (cinematographer), Jon Harris (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A disfigured actor (Harries) volunteers for an experimental treatment that leaves him with a horrifying ability…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON CLAYFACE?

It’s nice to see that DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are not only establishing a Marvel-style cinematic universe, but are also getting ahead of the curve by creating their own line of standalone villain spin-offs in a similar vein to Sony’s (now mercifully defunct) series of Spider-Man baddie-centric by-products. The good news for them is that Clayface, is a lot better than most if not all of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe movies combined, for even though to a point it follows their distinct anti-hero formula, this one feels much more like the people behind it, from director James Watkins to credited screenwriters Hossein Amini and Mike Flanagan, actually wanted to make a good movie instead of a studio-mandated piece of garbage.

They have indeed made a good movie… but only good. Not great, for it’s still got some issues that are a little tricky to overlook, but nonetheless still good.

In the film, we follow Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) who’s a rapidly rising movie star with charm, talent, and most of all good looks to establish him as a formidable Hollywood A-lister. That is, until he unknowingly sleeps with the girlfriend of psychotic Gotham City crime boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik) who not only proceeds to tank his career via false allegations of misconduct, but also brutally mutilates his face with a pocketknife. Desperate to restore his prized handsomeness, Matt eventually turns to Gotham-based cell regeneration scientist Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) and volunteers for human trials, which at first seem to work before a series of horrifying psychological and physical side-effects – namely drooping skin, fast-healing wounds, and most shockingly an uncanny ability to shapeshift into anybody he pleases – cause Matt to go down a much darker path.

Before you ask: no, Batman is nowhere to be seen in this movie, not even a glimpse of him in the shadows or anything. But whether or not the Caped Crusader shows up (which I assure you he doesn’t) is ultimately irrelevant to the singular story that Clayface is telling, as it’s more of a slick character study combined with gruesome body horror this side of David Cronenberg, almost like a live-action version of a classic episode from Batman: The Animated Series. That description is apt, as Watkins introduces audiences to a Gotham that is certainly familiar in its vaguely art-deco inspired griminess, with even the nightclubs and fancy hotels carrying an unmistakable sense of sleaze, but still features characters, environments and especially effects that almost intentionally feel ripped from a cartoon. Some of the antagonists are so comically extreme in how they dish out violent retribution that you could practically envision Mark Hamill’s Joker standing alongside them, while the inconsistent CGI used to create some of Matt’s later distortions or certain other gore effects contain visuals that only an animator could realise. Even one wince-inducing scene set on an airplane carries the same kind of nonsensical logic you’d expect to see in an animated show (seriously, who decides to do THAT in the middle of heavy turbulence? You’ll know what I mean when you see it).

Luckily, Watkins is a filmmaker that is perfectly capable of making those exaggerated traits work well enough on the screen. Shot in a letterbox-shaped 2.76:1 aspect ratio, Clayface delivers a panoramic landscape which allows the moody lighting and sharp, at times creative editing to create an environment that is more creepy than full-on scary, with some astonishing makeup effects that accentuate the monstrous nature of the hardcore violence throughout. He’s also working from a fun script by Amini and Flanagan that takes the narrative into some unsettling directions, especially when it maintains a focus on Matt Hagen’s deeply tragic story as he succumbs to his darker impulses on his brutal quest for revenge, as anchored by a formidable lead performance by Tom Rhys Harries that combines vague boyish narcissism and entitlement with genuine pathos that makes it easy to empathise with him, even when he starts doing very villainous things.

The thing is, a much more original and overall better body horror film with this kind of fame-centric angle already exists, and it’s called The Substance. Although wildly separate in tone, style, and even in their levels of cartoonish gore, Clayface ultimately pales in comparison to Coralie Fargeat’s film which ultimately took a few more risks and chances with its themes of vanity within an industry where youthful good looks are the ultimate currency, whereas this one feels much safer and strangely more subdued. You do often find yourself thinking more about that film instead of being fully engrossed in this one, especially as it quickly becomes apparent that, despite the efforts of the filmmakers in their pursuit to deliver something above average, Clayface doesn’t contain much that audiences will likely remember after a short while. It more or less goes through the motions of a film like this, delivering exactly what it promises without any real surprises, which while far from bad can still be to its detriment in that it’s not as adventurous or daring as its spiritual competitor.

Still, for what it is, Clayface is enjoyable enough as a fun little horror-centric detour for the DC Universe. Just don’t expect anything truly memorable, or even a cameo from a certain vigilante dressed as a bat.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Clayface is a finely enjoyable body horror set within the DC Universe that boasts some gruesome violence, impressive makeup and interestingly tragic directions, though it doesn’t do much to set itself apart from much better movies of its kind, such as the far superior The Substance.