Of all the villains to exist in the world of DC comics, Clayface is one who hasn’t had much modern fame. However, as James Gunn attempts to revitalize the DCU so it can hold its own against the still-potent Marvel Cinematic Universe, Clayface makes perfect sense as the focus of a film. After all, DC has had moderate success in exploring the backstories of its villains. Why shouldn’t someone like Clayface take the spotlight? In 2023, maestro of horror Mike Flanagan pitched his take on the villain and the studio confirmed his participation, but Clayface as Flanagan intended wouldn’t come to light because he had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. The version of Clayface that made it to the big screen has the DNA of Flanagan, but it’s missing the heart.
Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is on the precipice of his acting career changing forever. It’s the morning of Oscar nominations and there’s buzz that Matt’s name could be read. He’s anxious, but he’s also due to be on set for another project, so he doesn’t want to make a big deal of the potential nomination. When the good news comes, Matt finds himself on a whirlwind press tour and invites his childhood best-friend-turned-fellow-actor, Corey (Joshua James), to join him. The two celebrate in a nightclub in Gotham, where Matt catches the attention of a woman named Mia (Joana Ribeiro). The two spend the night together and Matt wakes up surrounded by mobsters led by Markos Szabo (David Dencik), boyfriend to Mia. Szabo disfigures Matt’s face and slanders him in the media. Desperate after losing everything, Matt turns to Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), who is developing nanotechnology that can repair damaged skin and tissue.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Clayface isn’t a traditional villain origin story film. In fact, the early critic comparisons to The Substance are far more apt. Those squeamish around needles and other medical procedures (yours truly) will have more than a few moments worthy of shielding the eyes. As Matt undergoes medical procedures, or when the nanotechnology begins to morph his body, Clayface touches the edge of body horror more than any other superhero film in recent memory. It’s nasty, goopy, and bloody, but Clayface also shies away from most violence. When Matt is first attacked, we see the switchblade slice through his face. When Matt exacts his revenge, however, the audience only sees shadows fighting, or it happens behind closed doors. Clayface’s relationship with violence is quite puzzling and contradictory, without much rhyme or reason.
Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh
Matt makes for an interesting character, but the script we ended up with lost a lot of the nuance of who he really is. He grew up in a neighborhood of Gotham that characters openly say they never set foot in. Matt explains that acting became an outlet for him, and it’s something that he clearly loves. All it takes for his world to crumble is one selfish choice of sleeping with a woman he knows is dating a crime lord. Clayface isn’t interested in having Matt reflect on that choice, or what it could mean to this man who came from nothing to return to nothing again. Arguably, though, that’s what makes a compelling story. Of course, anything about Flanagan’s original pitch is speculation at this point, but these sort of gray characters are what he does so well. Take his most recent work on the Prime Video series Carrie, in which he makes the viewer understand Carrie’s bullies in a way no other iteration has managed to do.
On one side of the coin, there’s something daring about mixing up the superhero genre in this way, to bet all-in on body horror in a genre that has been playing things fairly safe for over a decade now. Clayface isn’t the best version of breaking the mold, but it is a studio taking a risk, and isn’t that what we want at the end of the day? If studios are going to put their money into these films, shouldn’t they at least try something new?
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