Clayface, which hits theaters on October 23rd, is hands down the best horror movie I’ve seen this year and, in my opinion, the best DC canon film since The Dark Knight. I absolutely loved this movie, especially because it wasn’t what I was expecting. There are many gruesome moments with several very disturbing sequences; however, beneath all of the terror, horror, and bloodshed is a tragic tale of a man losing everything he once had and becoming someone neither he nor you can recognize anymore.
The film introduces us to Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, a famous actor who has just received an Oscar nomination. He’s celebrating with his friends and colleagues when he decides to step away for a moment to thank his late mother. He looks up, starts crying, and tells her that they did it. It was such a sweet, touching moment, and I loved that the movie included it because it makes you immediately care about Matt.
Unfortunately, in true DC fashion, his happiness doesn’t last very long.
Matt’s entire world falls apart after a violent confrontation, one which severely disfigures Matt’s face. His highly promising career is practically over, his reputation is being destroyed, and the people who once surrounded him with support and praise are suddenly nowhere to be found.
What bothered me most about this experience was how quickly so many people cut ties with Matt. Matt did not become a completely different actor; he was still the very same highly skilled artist who had earned a prominent nomination, but since he is no longer seen as physically appealing or commercially viable, it appears as though none of these individuals want to have anything to do with him.
This is also where the film begins showing us a different side of Matt. He’s angry, desperate, and willing to try practically anything to get his old life back. I fully understood his frustration, especially after watching everything that happened to him. I was frustrated for him, but there were also moments when I was concerned he was going too far.
And I think that’s what makes Clayface such a good villain origin story.
One of my favorite things about DC Comics and the cinematic universe (when done right) is the fact that most of its characters are rarely on an easy path to redemption. The majority of other universes will create for their heroes a chance to redeem themselves from past transgressions and grow into better people; however, DC has never had a problem showing us all just how far down one can fall and what happens when you’re too broken to find your way back.
Sometimes the damage done is permanent. And the choices someone makes afterward can only make their situation worse.
Matt Hagen reminded me of Harvey Dent from The Dark Knight. They are two characters who, while incredibly different in many ways, each had horrible things happen that would completely change the course of their lives. What I found so interesting was that neither started out as someone I would want to see fail. If anything, you want to root for them to overcome what happened to them.
I felt terrible for Matt Hagen. He had every single right to be livid, but that didn’t mean I agreed with everything he did.
I also have to give Tom Rhys Harries his porcelain flowers here because he was absolutely fantastic as Matt Hagen. He is Clayface! I don’t think I would have enjoyed this movie nearly as much if I hadn’t cared about Matt from the beginning, and Harries really made me care about him. I felt sorry for him, I wanted things to get better for him, and there were also times when I was completely horrified by his behavior. Being able to take me on that rollercoaster of emotions through one character is something I really appreciated about his performance.
Naomi Ackie was also absolutely fantastic as Caitlyn Corr. I really enjoyed her scenes with Harries. I thought their chemistry worked extremely well together. Caitlyn is a scientist whose experimental research offers Matt some form of hope of repairing his mutilated face. She also has her own professional struggles, which I thought made her involvement in the story even more interesting.
One of my favorite aspects of this film was how the characters’ relationships progressed as the story went on. I will refrain from giving away specific spoilers, but there is great commentary on love, acceptance, and the ease with which those feelings may develop into an unhealthy obsession.
Both Harries and Ackie deserve so much credit for their amazing performances, and I really hope people recognize just how good they were in this movie.
The horror is another reason I enjoyed Clayface so much. This movie is extremely graphic and wildly unsettling, especially when it comes to Matt’s injuries and the procedures he undergoes to repair his face. There were several moments when I found myself wincing, squirming, groaning, and wanting to cover my eyes because the film doesn’t hide all the explicit details of the damage done to his body. You see all the incisions and the surgical attempts to repair his face in some pretty gruesome detail.
I also loved how the movie handled Clayface’s physical transformation. Some of the changes were subtle, while others were absolutely horrifying to look at.
I thought the level of detail was fantastic. I appreciated that the filmmakers weren’t afraid to make things as disturbing as they did. I watch a lot of horror movies, and I was still surprised by some of the things they were willing to show.
One of the things that surprised me most was how much I felt Clayface was a horror thriller movie rather than your typical comic book film. While it had elements of Hollywood drama, medical horror, romance, and vengeance, at no time did I feel these different parts of the film were competing with each other.
The ending is perfect. I will not spoil anything about what happened because I want everyone to experience this for themselves. But I loved the direction it took. This movie has so much to say, and it is always a good sign when you are still thinking about a film long after it’s finished.
I think that is another reason why I enjoyed Clayface as much as I did. The film allows you to become personally invested in Matt before showing you just how frightening he can truly become. Even when I was horrified by some of his actions, I never completely forgot the man we met at the beginning of the movie.
And I think that is what made his story so sad to me.
You must see this movie. Whether you’re a fan of horror, a fan of DC, or just interested in a great movie, you must see this film. The story kept me deeply interested; the body horror was fantastic, and Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie were both incredible.
I really don’t have many complaints about Clayface. Well… actually, I do have one.
Halloween is nearly here, and sadly I probably won’t have time to find or make a costume to honor this movie the way it deserves. This is my only complaint. Harsh, I know, but you can’t win them all.
For me, Clayface is the best horror movie of the year, as well as the strongest DC canon film since The Dark Knight. When I entered the theater, I expected a disturbing monster movie about an evil creature living in Gotham City. What I got instead was possibly one of the saddest and certainly most disturbing and unsettling villain origin stories I have ever had the pleasure of watching.
And that is exactly why I loved it.
Are you seeing Clayface this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
