Clayface Mini Review

I don’t love it when studios build a film around a side character or villain, such as Joker or Madame Web. In most cases, I’d rather see their story unfold alongside their associated hero. I’ve been burned too many times. Joker was great, of course, but I still feel the heartbreak of its sequel, while films like Morbius and Venom never really left me feeling much of anything.

I went into Clayface expecting to be scared. Instead, I walked out amused and pleasantly surprised by how much fun the film was, especially as a Halloween-season watch. It elicits shudders rather than shivers, with gasps and groans often giving way to laughter — not the mocking kind, but the incredulous kind that escapes when you witness something so shockingly absurd you can hardly believe what you’re seeing. This film gives you plenty of those moments.

It’s a testament to director James Watkins’ craftsmanship that the body horror and mutilation are so cringe-inducing. The film ventures well into camp territory, and though I typically prefer my cinema a little more grounded, I gradually settled into its dark sense of humor. Harder to accept is Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, an ostensibly accomplished actor whose line delivery is not as convincing as the film’s superb special effects. The same goes for Naomi Ackie as Dr. Caitlyn Corr, the scientist whose all-too-timely AI-assisted treatment offers Hagen a remedy for his facial scarring. Those injuries come courtesy of mob boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik), whose girlfriend Hagen made the mistake of sleeping with at the start of the film.

Despite Batman’s absence, I appreciated the connections to the character’s comic-book and animated roots: Gotham mobsters, seedy alleyways, corrupt authorities, even a cosmetics-company reference that evokes the experimental beauty treatment behind Clayface’s transformation in Batman: The Animated Series. Clayface, who briefly fought crime in the comics, takes on a vigilante role here, deploying his shapeshifting powers to creative and harrowing effect. But don’t expect someone you can comfortably root for. This is, appropriately, a tragedy, and its examination of loss and unchecked ambition places it firmly in the tradition of the best monster stories.

Gleefully grotesque, this absurd monster tragedy molds inventive body horror, dark humor, and unchecked ambition into a surprisingly affecting whole.

Rating: 4/5

FULL PODCAST REVIEW COMING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2026.