Clayface, 2026.
Directed by James Watkins.
Starring Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Eddie Marsan, Max Minghella, David Dencik, Francesca Corney, Ruby Sear, Wil Coban, Joshua James, Jake Curran, Nancy Carroll, Olivia-Mai Barrett, Sonita Henry, Adam Silver, Rob Brydon, Joana Ribeiro, and Emily Florence.
SYNOPSIS:
Rising Hollywood star Matt Hagen descends into a horrifying revenge-filled monster when scientific ambition strips him of his identity and humanity.
Set within the Gotham acting pool of Hollywood (which contains a selection of Oscar-nominated movies that somehow sound more fake than some of the titles you see reviewed here), director James Watkins’ Clayface kickstarts the premise with a plot point almost as putrid as his filmography (sure, hiring screenwriter Mike Flanagan is sensible, albeit maybe less encouraging given the responses to his take on Stephen King’s Carrie and to those like myself who mostly don’t see the appeal or greatness, but grabbing the filmmaker behind The Woman in Black and the infuriatingly tame Speak No Evil remake, not so much).
Following receiving an Oscar nomination for a film we never learn much about, Matt Hagen (a dull Tom Rhys Harries that leaves one wondering how this guy is a celebrated actor in any fictional universe) picks the wrong woman at the club to party with. She is attached to a ruthless mob boss with various connections to crooked city officials, who, when caught, goes on to publicly claim that she was drugged, among other horrific fabrications. This comes after he and his henchmen slice up Matt’s face, effectively ruining his acting career in conjunction with basically being canceled by a woman making untrue allegations. Essentially, the protagonist of this film is a victim of a woman lying about serious crimes, which is a totally bizarre choice in this day and age. The screenwriting and characterization certainly aren’t up to par to justify this as a harsh reality in a world where anything is possible, and anyone can be capable of evil. That is the extent of her character.
More to the point, Matt seeks out unconventional scientist Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie, the only one expressing remotely compelling inner and ethical conflict) who lacks funding for her experiments and is reluctant to take him on as a human test subject, but quickly concedes. It turns out that, through the power of nanotechnology, her methods cure Matt’s disfigured facial structure, but with the body-horror caveat twist that overwhelming stress or anger will result in the skin slipping off like sludge. Given Hollywood’s backstabbing nature, including from those closest to him, he’s full of revenge while struggling to get his career back on track. Not to mention, he’s also falling for Caitlyn, who is engaged to Gotham police officer John Borelli (Max Minghella), as he investigates when some of these traitors go missing or turn up dead.
The surgical element is shockingly mild, content on pulling back the second the film teases anything gruesome or graphic. Admittedly, Clayface has a more distinct identity than other DC entries across both universes thus far, but it still seems afraid to dive into a different genre. Even when Matt discovers he can transform and take on the identity of those he comes into contact with or is angered by (it’s never fully explained), one would presume that the film has opened itself up for some commentary on Hollywood and the nature of acting, but that too is shallow, mostly amounting to a friend unable to fake his way through lying about betrayal. Soon, Matt is going full-on whiny rejected lover (incel behavior comparisons are valid), seemingly unable to accept that, following the procedures, he still has a cushy life despite otherwise humble behavior before the disfiguring incident (at the club, he is willing to wait in line before a friend encourages him to cut to the front, flaunting celebrity status).
This entire concept raises more questions than answers (if Matt gets stuck in some Gotham City traffic, does his face start falling off? What exactly triggers the body-horror elements?), without much entertainment in the form of scares, gore, or psychological thrills. If anything, Clayface‘s most impressive aspect is how disappointingly boring it is, as if whatever promise there is slips away as quickly as the skin falling off Matt’s face.
Perhaps most baffling, the film ends with a mind-bender that simply isn’t earned, given how dull the prior 90 minutes are. Hopefully, one day, DC can shape itself into a promising universe, but lately, with each entry, that prospect is fading fast. I left wondering if the fake Gotham City Academy Award-nominated movies are any better than Clayface. They have to be.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder
