Following the disastrous box office returns of Supergirl, the newly founded DC Studios seems to have found a critical and commercial success with Clayface, its newest venture into theaters. Directed by scary movie veteran James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan, a self proclaimed Stephen King aficionado, the film redevelops the traditional thinkings, ideas, and tropes of the superhero genre to create a truly original body horror flick that incorporates classic Batman mythos through a thoughtfully grim lens.
One cannot help but draw comparisons between Clayface and the previous Batman villain projects that garnered critical acclaim in the past decade, including the two Joker movies and the HBO miniseries The Penguin. While all of these characters hail from the lore of one of the most complex characters in modern pop culture and are meant to challenge his iconic adventures across mediums, these solo projects certainly allow for new and interesting genres to explore these villains, spanning from crime dramas to musicals. HHS Senior Luca Arienti adds, “I’ve really enjoyed the past few Batman villain movies, and this new one is definitely no exception.” 2026’s Clayface places the Batman villain in a horror atmosphere, granting the actors and directors a new genre sandbox to play in.
The entire plot of the film is directly inspired by Feat of Clay, an episode of the critically acclaimed show Batman: The Animated Series. This specific episode follows Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood star who falls into a bad deal with Gotham gangsters who disfigure his face, transforming him into Clayface. The movie mainly sticks to this plot, albeit without any appearance of the caped crusader himself and with a grimier tone than the episode of the children’s show.
Easily the highlight of the movie is Tom Rhys Harries’ performance as Matt Hagen, the Oscar-nominated actor who eventually transforms into the monstrous blob of clay. Although he is a relatively unknown Welsh actor, his talent for conveying an emotional performance is clearly on display as the troubled actor. As Matt Hagen grows more and more into the classic comics villain, his psychotic nature becomes increasingly apparent.
Another strong aspect of the film is the horror elements. As Matt transforms into the classic villain, his body morphs and shifts, creating many unsettling visuals. Junior Huck Shaughnassy mentions, “It was definitely pretty gruesome, which isn’t really my thing but it definitely made for a scary time.” Most of the body horror effects were achieved practically, a rarity in modern cinema that makes for a more enjoyable and well-crafted movie.
While some themes about social class get muddled in a typical revenge plot, the movie is definitely worth a watch if you enjoy classic body horror and grimy vengeance. Plenty of Batman references and a traditionally comic accurate Gotham City will satisfy DC fans as well. Overall, Clayface is a perfect watch for the Halloween season.
