CLAYFACE Review

At the beginning of this new DCU adventure, James Gunn assured fans that the reboot to the franchise would not be homogeneous. Tones and genres would differ from project to project. Gotham would look like Gotham; Metropolis like Metropolis; Coast City like Coast City, and the stories would have whatever energy deemed correct by the team of the given project. Though Gunn's kept that promise so far, I always have my doubts when horror films are meant to fit in with an overarching universe that decidedly does not focus on horror. Clayface didn't just prove those doubts were unfounded, it also left me very excited for horror's future in the DCU.

Clayface marks the first time Mike Flanagan has ever written a script and then simply handed it off to another team with no further involvement in the project. It's unclear how much writer Hossein Amini changed or shifted when he came in later, or what director James Watkins altered for his needs once they started shooting. With that comes two truths: Clayface is very good, and you should not expect it to feel like a traditional Flanagan joint.

What you should expect is to get a little bit queasy! Matt Hagen's (Tom Rhys Harries) disfigurement happens minutes into the film, and the camera is not shy. The pan you expect never comes, and when you're finally granted a reprieve the frame quickly snaps right back to the violence. You're meant to feel Matt's pain. That remains true whether the focus is on the film's violence or its body horror, and there is plenty of both.

For the most part, both of those aspects look good. The exception to the otherwise strong showing in practical and VFX is the reliance on CGI blood. There are some shots where said reliance is unavoidable (a sentiment that is so rarely true), but it's those scenes that generally look the weakest. Outside of that there are two CGI-laden shots that are laughably bad, each of which are meant to be dramatic looks at one of Clayface's kills. Those exceptions aside, Clayface looks pretty dang good.

This is especially true of a hero shot that comes in the final moments of the film. Bringing a character like Clayface to life in live action isn't a particularly easy task, and much of what we've seen of Hagen's transformation has been centered on his human form but goopier. Comic fans — and Batman the Animated Series fans — are both very likely to leave this film especially happy.

There's a nuance to Hagen's characterization here that I particularly enjoyed. Clayface is a retelling of the character's origins, molding him appropriately for the DCU's future needs. The tragic backstory expected of anyone from Gotham is there, yes, but there's an ambiguity to Hagen that ends up being unexpectedly delightful. At first we find him pure. The kid who escaped the Narrows and pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become one of Hollywood's hottest up and comers. Then comes the smear campaign, facilitated by Szabo (David Dencik) and his goons. It's nothing new from a mob boss, but eventually even the viewer starts to question whether or not Hagen's past is as squeaky clean as we were all led to believe, despite the character remaining sympathetic throughout much of the film.

From a script perspective, nearly everything here works. The tiny (glaring) exception is with a character choice from Caitlin (Naomi Ackie) that I just can't excuse. Growing up in the Narrows hardens a gal, sure! But no one from that part of Gotham is stupid enough to walk home alone at night! It's a passing moment used to set up Hagan's next act of violence, but it vexed me. Ackie's performance is, of course, not in question here at all. She threads the needle between dangerously curious scientist and a human with ethics perfectly.

In fact, there's nary a bad performance in the bunch. Harries excels as a desperate man willing to give anything to claw his life back, and Max Minghella (here as John Borrelli) shines as one of the Gotham PD's few good cops.

Rob Hardy's cinematography quietly elevates Clayface's body horror with framing that juxtaposes the decay and deterioration of both Gotham and Hagen against the messed up beauty hiding in Gotham's seediest corners. The header shot of this review is one that I particularly enjoy (even if I've ruined the frame by centering Harries' face). Hardy's framing dances along with Volker Bertelmann's jaunty score in a way that is both pleasing and disconcerting by design.

Clayface's greatest strength is its intentionality. It's shying away from nothing. General audiences might really balk at that — especially the body horror aspects. That said, the film's complete lack of identity crisis is going to go a very long way with fans. I can't sit here and tell you that Clayface is going to have broad appeal. What I can say is that its refusal to chase that appeal is its greatest triumph. This is a horror film. It wants to make you uncomfortable, and it does! There are scenes in here that make even someone like me balk. That is, perhaps, the greatest compliment that I can offer.

If you've enjoyed this review, please consider subscribing. If you're already a subscriber and want to help support independent entertainment criticism, consider a paid subscription!