THRILLS AND CHILLS: “Clayface” (2026)

(Source: IMDb) 

Considered a low-tier villain in Batman’s rogues gallery during his early comic book days, the shape-shifting monstrosity known as Clayface was elevated to popularity in the early-1990s, thanks to a two-episode arc on Batman: The Animated Series, which significantly retooled the character as a formidable and layered foe. 

In contrast to Sony’s handling of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery in recent years (i.e., Venom, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter), the cast and crew behind Clayface’s live-action, feature-length debut ride the coattails of Todd Philips’ standalone Joker entries starring Joaquin Phoenix, but set in the same DC Studios universe as Superman and Supergirl, and in that franchise’s gritty, crime-infested Gotham City. And, in the same vein as John Carpenter’s The Thing, David Cronenberg’s The Fly, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, and even Frankenstein’s monster, the filmmakers (including director James Watkin, co-writer Mike Flanagan, co-producers James Gunn and Matt Reeves, and longtime Batman producer Michael E. Uslan) present a hard-R, body horror story that relies heavily on practical effects for squeamish results, as well as a complex and tragic narrative. 

Leading the cast is Tom Rhys Harries as the titular Matt Hagen, a successful, rags-to-riches actor who suddenly gets his face disfigured by mobsters and loses nearly everything he’s worked for. He seizes a window of opportunity when he learns of an experimental procedure that could potentially restore his face (considered by him as his biggest asset), unaware of whatever side effects may result. And not just what’s on the surface. And when it becomes an obsession, fixating Matt on several negative emotions towards the people who wronged him, his objectives slowly turn psychological and unpredictable. 

I find it interesting that Clayface was shot in a wider, 2.76:1 aspect ratio (the same format as last year’s Sinners and 28 Years Later). Considering the aesthetic and soundtrack recalls cinema of the 1970s (much like Joker emulated the early-1980s), perhaps the wider framing makes sense in that regard. Ditto the thematic and personal angles that various characters (including the Gotham City Police) have towards Hagen, what with who they see him as and the mystery behind who he really may be. For a man used to role-playing and disappearing into other “characters,” Matt certainly knows how to blend in, making his arc all the more chilling. There’s even some dark humor sprinkled in, including a dance scene that recalls Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! 

Actress Naomi Ackie (who plays Dr. Caitlyn Corr) has gone on record that the film isn’t so much an antihero’s journey as it is a slow-burn and full-fledged villain’s origin story. To be sure, the horror and intense drama (anchored by Volker Bertelman’s melancholic and haunting score) throughout has substance and a range of emotions, with visual examples of what happens when people choose vengeance over peace, what our emotions and rage do to us if we let them, and how it makes us lose ourselves and who we are. Still, audiences are subjected to some truly weird, bloody, and graphic imagery (including some brief nudity). But the one moment that will likely make viewers squirm and look away the most is an airline scene involving melted eyelids and scissors. (That’s all I’m going to say.)

As for how the look of the titular character is revealed, I won’t say, except that it’s massive, scary, and heartbreaking. Like Danny DeVito’s version of the Penguin in Batman Returns (to paraphrase Watchmojo), it’s sometimes hard to know if we should feel sorry for Matt, fear him, or both. On the other hand, I honestly wasn’t expecting the film to be as compelling as it turned out to be. But make no mistake, Clayface is disturbing, as much as it is tragic and cautionary.