Verdict: 3.5 out of 5. Clayface is the strangest swing DC Studios has taken yet — a Batman villain’s origin told as full-blooded R-rated body horror — and for most of its tight 108 minutes, the gamble pays off. It starts slowly and never quite smooths out its script problems, but Tom Rhys Harries gives a star-making lead performance, the practical effects are gleefully gruesome, and the film knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be. Audiences agreed: opening-night crowds gave it an A- CinemaScore, a rare grade for horror.
Directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, Clayface is the third film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, and the first built entirely around horror rather than superhero spectacle. It opened in theatres on October 23, 2026, took the No. 1 spot on its opening weekend, and has held up better than most horror releases since — no small feat for a film about a villain most casual moviegoers had never heard of.
| Film | Clayface (2026) |
| Director | James Watkins |
| Screenplay | Mike Flanagan, Hossein Amini |
| Cast | Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan |
| Runtime | 108 minutes |
| Rating | R (strong bloody violence, gore, language, some nudity, brief drug use) |
| Release date | October 23, 2026 (theatrical) |
| Studio | DC Studios / Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Scores (at time of writing) | Mid-70s percent on Rotten Tomatoes (Certified Fresh); 59 on Metacritic; A- CinemaScore; 94% audience score |
| Our verdict | 3.5 out of 5 |
What Clayface is about
Matt Hagen (Harries) is a Gotham-born actor who has clawed his way from the city’s roughest streets to leading-man status. His rise collapses when Gotham gangster Markos Szabo (David Dencik) has his face carved up as punishment. Abandoned by his team, Hagen turns to Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), whose experimental regenerative treatment rebuilds what was taken — then keeps working, loosening his grip on his face, his identity, and reality. Revenge follows, and it is not clean.
The premise is pure pulp, and the film treats it seriously without ever losing its sense of the grotesque. Watkins, who made Eden Lake and the Speak No Evil remake, is a horror director first, and it shows: the transformation sequences are tactile, wet, and genuinely unsettling in a way CGI alone rarely achieves.
What works: Harries, the effects, and the nerve
Harries carries the film. Critics across the spectrum have singled out his performance as the reason Clayface works at all — he plays Hagen’s vanity, terror, and rage as one continuous wound, and he sells both the matinee idol and the monster. Ackie is a strong counterweight as Dr. Corr, a scientist whose own research was stolen by its funders.
The effects deserve their own mention. Reviewers have praised the practical, gruesome transformation work, and the film’s restraint helps: at 108 minutes, it never overstays its welcome the way most comic-book movies do. The R rating is not decoration. This is a horror film that earns it.
What doesn’t: a slow start and an uneven script
The most consistent complaint is the first act. Clayface is slow to start, taking its time setting up Hagen’s rise before the horror kicks in, and some critics found the script uneven, with thin character development and a tone that never fully commits. The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus says much the same: slow to start, then a satisfying revenge thriller. Metacritic’s lower score of 59 reflects that split — a film critics respect more than they love, while audiences have embraced it far more warmly.
It is also worth being honest about what Clayface is not. If you want a traditional superhero film, or a Batman appearance, this is not that movie. It is a standalone horror story that happens to wear a DC name.
Box office: a modest hit with strong legs
Clayface opened at No. 1 on October 23 with roughly $24 million domestically and about $43 million worldwide, from a reported $40–44 million budget — a fraction of what most comic-book films cost. On Halloween weekend it fell about 57% to roughly $10.4 million, finishing a close second behind A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything by only around $200,000. For a hard-R horror film built around a C-list villain, that is an encouraging run.
Should you watch Clayface?
Yes — if you like horror with a brain. Clayface is messy, occasionally uneven, and slow out of the gate, but bold, disgusting in the best way, and anchored by a performance that should make Tom Rhys Harries a much bigger name. Just don’t bring anyone squeamish.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clayface connected to Batman or the wider DC Universe?
It is the third film in the new DC Universe, but it plays as a standalone horror story. You do not need to have seen the other DCU films to follow it.
Why is Clayface rated R?
The film is rated R for strong bloody violence, gore, language, some nudity, and brief drug use. It is a genuine horror film, not a superhero movie with horror trimmings.
What do critics and audiences think of Clayface?
At the time of writing, critics sit in the mid-70s percent range on Rotten Tomatoes (Certified Fresh) with a 59 on Metacritic, while audiences are warmer: an A- CinemaScore and a 94% audience score. Scores move as more reviews arrive.