“Clayface” follows Matt Hagen, whose rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is cut short when a local crime boss leaves him horribly disfigured. After seeking out cutting-edge treatment, he spirals down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
Within the first 15 minutes, it’s evident that this isn’t R-rated for nothing. There’s nudity, and more significantly, graphic violence. While short-lived, director James Watkins delivers realistic brutality that is sure to make viewers squirm. With a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” approach, “Clayface” doesn’t allow the audience to soak it all in before moving onto the next scene. This fast-paced start emphasizes that cruel carnage is just a part of everyday life in Gotham, but it certainly feels rushed. There’s no gradual buildup to generate investment in Matt as a character before everything goes wrong. By going from stardom to obscurity within a matter of minutes, the film doesn’t expand beyond simple sympathy for him. It also has a sense of déjà vu that comes from the nearly identical setup to “A Different Man.”
The in-your-face (literally) gore is where “Clayface” finds its originality. While Aaron Schimberg’s film became a dramedy, Watkins’ work is clearly focused on body horror. Director of photography Rob Hardy gets up close and personal with the camerawork, featuring close-ups of dripping skin and fused eyelids. Despite being digitally enhanced, many of these effects are executed practically. This makes Matt’s transformations feel genuinely gross instead of just digital fabrications.
Not only is the body horror similar to other modern entries like “The Substance” and “Slanted,” but so is the messaging. It tackles timeless subjects of industry beauty standards and self-identity that many viewers will be able to relate to.
Nonetheless, the temporary nature of Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini’s screenplay continues through all 108 minutes. The main antagonist, Markos Szabo, appears early on to set the events in motion before disappearing for the next hour. By transitioning fully into body horror, “Clayface” abandons this initial conflict only to return to it in the final act. Because of this, the nature of the “revenge” itself almost feels forced. Clayface’s abilities are also hurriedly introduced as the story progresses. One second, his face is falling apart. In the next, he can seamlessly transform to look just like another individual. While this is consistent with the character’s abilities in the comics, there’s no development toward it.
Eventually, however, you can’t help but laugh at all of the craziness. With the increased stakes, the CGI becomes more noticeable and the cheesiness becomes more prevalent. When Clayface actually takes full form, there are noticeable shortcomings — luckily, he only makes a very brief appearance. Many critiqued “Madame Web” for just showing the characters suited up in the final shot; “Clayface” practically does the same.
And this leads into the biggest problem: “Clayface” doesn’t feel like it’s a part of the DC Universe. This is a bad problem to have only three movies into James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new take on the DCU. Because large segments of the narrative take place in generalized locations — movie premieres, exam rooms, homes — there’s no identity to Gotham. It’s just a regular place.
Tom Rhys Harries (Matt Hagen/Clayface) effectively conveys the shock of seeing your face fall apart, with his expressions doing the heavy lifting to match the emotional intensity of such an event. Harries’ verbal delivery balances Matt’s two lives, sounding kindhearted at times and imposing at others. The sentimental portions of “Clayface” are largely driven by Naomi Ackie (Caitlyn Corr). Much like Matt has to deal with the realities of his situation, Caitlyn has to face what she created. She sheds many tears to sell just how scared her character is. Also appearing are Max Minghella (John Borrelli), David Dencik (Markos Szabo) and Eddie Marsan.
“Clayface” is wince-inducing and violent… until it’s not. A rushed script pushes the film into predictable comic-book movie territory where it becomes more laughable than scary.
Rating: 2 out of 5
