Clayface Review: DC's Feel-Bad B-Movie Is An Arresting Super Villain Origin Story

DC's Clayface is a fun genre movie with a charismatic central performance that drives its oopy-goopy horror revenge tale to interesting places.

Origin stories get a bad rap, and rightfully so. Formulaic; boring; uneventful; saccharine – there’s only so many times one can tell an origin story before they all start to feel the same. That’s not the case for Clayface. The latest picture from DC Studios tells the story of Matt Hagen’s descent into shape-shifting mayhem, but it eschews the belabored feeling of most origin stories for a B-movie vibe that is more delightfully disgusting romp and less rote retelling, evoking the kind of movies Matt Hagen may have inevitably starred in if his career didn't go off the rails.

In a departure from Matt's comic book origins, which sees a treasure hunter encounter a pool of toxic chemicals, we are introduced to the actor Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries, having a ball) on the precipice of greatness. Just nominated for Best Actor, he’s on a press tour for the ages, returning as a hometown hero to Gotham City, doing the late night rounds, and skipping the line at glamorous clubs. Nothing good happens in Gotham, though, and Matt quickly finds himself in a situation that ends with his face butchered and his career in shambles.

In this version of the Clayface story, the treasure is Doctor Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) and her AI nanotechnology. Abandoned by her investors and on the verge of shutting down her research, the scientist has no choice but to accept Matt’s proposal to use him as a human trial for her experimental procedure. As the premise suggests, things go off the rails pretty quickly.

Clayface Is A Slick Genre Movie With A Little Body Horror

Part-revenge saga, part-murder mystery from the perspective of the killer, Clayface is full of surprises, and at the center of it all is Harries' charismatic performance. The actor, who has appeared in numerous films and shows over the years, gets a true breakout moment here. The horror of his predicament is painted across his handsome face, even as it melts and morphs into grotesque configurations. It's a role that relies specifically on you believing that Matt could be an in-demand actor, and Harries meets the moment in a few early scenes that quickly get you on his side before it all blows up.

That's the tricky thing about this origin story, in particular. It must thread the needle of being a sympathetic portrait of our main character – we can't hate him the whole time – before allowing us to question his intentions. Ackie's scientist serves as an able foil to this. Her own intentions are nebulous, especially as her research seemingly proves to be potentially world-changing. But Clayface moves its characters from this gray area into clear modes of right and wrong by the end of its runtime, even if sympathies still cross the line.

Clayface reaches for more depth in some of its storytelling, flirting with ideas of performance and embodiment, as well as Hollywood satire, but these aren't the movie's strong suits. Instead, Clayface is at its best when it gets gnarly or silly, often at the same time. Director James Watkins (Eden Lake, Speak No Evil) isn't afraid to get gross pretty quickly, from early surgeries to fix Matt's face to the goopy transformation that begins when he finally meets Caitlyn.

That's the draw here, after all. Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini's script serves as a vehicle for some gross-out set pieces that aim to evoke everything from The Blob to The Fly. The film leans into its R-rating, and even though it's forced to hold back at times (presumably for budgetary reasons), it's still capable of delivering some solid shocks that elicit gasps as often as they do laughs.

The movie is so focused on Matt's transformation into Clayface that it largely forgets the universe it takes place in, which feels more like a feature rather than a bug. Besides taking place in Gotham City, there are no overt nods to the larger universe for casual audiences. More eagle-eyed viewers may catch some Easter eggs here and there, but Clayface is first and foremost Matt Hagen's story, which makes it an all the more interesting experiment in James Gunn's burgeoning DC Universe. Who knows whether the DCU's future Dark Knight will battle Clayface and, more importantly, the movie asks, who cares?

Really, the only thing the movie asks us to care about is Matt and his relationship with Caitlyn, another tricky thread the movie navigates. When Matt eventually crosses the line to true villainy, it's backed up by a solid, visually engrossing story that has its weak spots, but proves to be more of a good time than it has any right to be. Too often in Clayface, Matt flirts with disaster, echoing the film's own trajectory. But it wouldn't achieve what it does if it didn't get so close to the line before slithering its way over it.

Clayface releases in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 23.

Release Date October 23, 2026

Runtime 108 Minutes

Director James Watkins

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  Tom Rhys Harries

  Matt Hagen / Clayface

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  Naomi Ackie

  Dr. Caitlin Bates