MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Early reactions to DC Studios’ upcoming horror-thriller Clayface are in, and critics are calling the film a grotesque, inventive, and terrifying triumph.
Directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil) and co-written by horror master Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), the film explores the dark origins of Gotham’s tragic villain, Matt Hagen. Played by Tom Rhys Harries, Hagen rises from a Gotham street kid to a Hollywood leading man before a local crime boss leaves him horribly disfigured. Desperate for a cure, Hagen undergoes an experimental treatment that restores his appearance but fractures his sanity, sending him on a bloody path of vengeance.
Critics and podcasters who attended early screenings have flooded social media with high praise. Brandon Davis called the film “freakishly awesome,” praising Watkins for crafting an unsettling Gotham and commending Harries’ star-making performance. ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian hailed it as a “wildly gory spectacle” blending unique body horror with classic gothic romance, while Collider’s Steven Weintraub noted that its hard-R brutality genuinely shocked audiences.
Co-produced by The Batman director Matt Reeves alongside DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, the film also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan.
Clayface opens in cinemas nationwide on October 21, rated R-18 by the MTRCB.