“CLAYFACE” first reactions describe DC Studios’ first horror thriller as “freakishly awesome,” a “wildly gory spectacle.” Rated R-18 and uncut, “Clayface” opens in cinemas October 21

Tom Rhys Harries is Matt Hagen/Clayface in “Clayface”

 

The first reactions to “Clayface,” DC Studios’ first horror thriller, are now available and it looks like fans are in for quite a horrifying treat. 

Directed by James Watkins (“Speak No Evil”) and co-written by Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Carrie,” “Doctor Sleep”), “Clayface” tells the story of the cult favorite villain from Gotham’s rogues gallery, played by Tom Rhys Harries. The official synopsis reads: Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge. 

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/Xk_QQyvEERE?si=t6nPzEBUFyL2u1yI

Podcaster Brandon Davis said in a post that “#Clayface is freakishly awesome. Watkins makes an unsettling Gotham and gets very creative with Clayface’s abilities. Gruesome, dark moments and twisted ideas at play. Tom Rhys Harries is a star, literally in the movie and for his performance. Dude kills it. Well done by all.”

“CLAYFACE is incredible!” raved Chris Killian of comicbook.com. “It molds Matt Hagen’s tragic backstory into a wildly gory spectacle. There are some crazy unique body horror moments that’ll make you squirm, but what I loved most is it’s also a heartfelt throwback to a bygone era of classic gothic romance films. The movie does such a fantastic job introducing us to Clayface, it’ll be an absolute shame if we don’t see him go toe-to-toe with Batman in the future. However, don’t go hoping for Bats. Just go see Clayface because it’s an unsettling and viscerally grotesque monster movie.” 

Naomi Ackie and Tom Rhys Harries in “Clayface”

Steven Weintraub of Collider strongly recommends the movie: “Clayface was fantastic. An awesome addition to the DCU that doesn’t require any knowledge of DC to enjoy. It’s a hard R and loaded with brutal scenes that really surprised me. Audience freaked out a few times during my screening to what was being depicted on screen. Strong recommend.”

#CLAYFACE is so gross & yet you can’t look away. I’m not a fan of horror but this was a masterpiece,” said POC Culture. “@TomRhysHarries delivers a star making performance that’s charismatic & horrifying. Naomi Ackie is equally as powerful. I watched the entire movie like this I’m blown away.”

Jenna Anderson of Go Read Some Comics strongly recommends people watch the movie in cinemas as well. “#Clayface completely blew me away. It’s disgusting, inventive, and astonishingly funny and earnest,” she said in a post. “It slots into the DCU so effortlessly. You owe it to yourself to see it in a theater filled with other people’s reactions.”

“The Batman” director Matt Reeves co-produced the film with James Gunn and Peter Safran, among others. “Clayface,” also starring David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, opens in cinemas October 21. Rated R-18 by the MTRCB.