Welcome To MovieAnimeX! DC Studios has finally gone full horror. Clayface, directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil, Eden Lake) from a script by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, hit theatres on October 23, 2026, through Warner Bros. Pictures, and in India it is playing in English and Hindi. It’s the third film in the new DCU after Superman and Supergirl, and it is nothing like either of them.
In this Clayface review, we break down the story, the performances, the body horror and whether it’s worth your ticket. The big question going in was simple: can a small, R-rated horror movie about a B-list Batman villain actually work? Short answer: yes. It’s slow to start and a little rough around the edges, but once it gets going, Clayface is gross, gripping and one of the boldest things DC has made in years.
Table of Contents
Ratings
- MovieAnimeX:- 8.1/10
- IMDb:- 7.6/10 (from about 8,700 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score:- 76% (149 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score (Popcornmeter):- 94%
(IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes scores as of October 24, 2026, the day after release, and they may change over the opening weekend.)
That gap between critics and audiences says a lot. Critics are split on whether Clayface is scary enough or polished enough, but audiences are walking out happy, and so did we. This is a movie that knows exactly what it wants to be: a nasty, old-school monster movie that happens to be set in Gotham.
Trailer
The Story (Spoiler-Free)
Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is a rising Hollywood star whose career is finally taking off. Then a trip to Gotham goes horribly wrong. He is slashed across the face by gangster Markos Szabo (David Dencik), the press turns on him, and the surgery meant to fix his face fails. With his looks and his career gone, Matt volunteers for an experimental treatment run by scientist Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie).
The treatment works, at first. Matt’s face comes back. But his body is changing into something soft, shapeless and very hungry for revenge. From there, the film becomes a slow slide from victim to monster, with Caitlyn caught in the middle and her police detective boyfriend (Max Minghella) getting closer to the truth.
Performances: Tom Rhys Harries Is the Real Deal
Tom Rhys Harries carries this whole movie, and he is fantastic. He plays Matt as vain, charming and a bit pathetic, so you feel sorry for him without ever fully trusting him. Even under layers of makeup and effects, his eyes and body language do a lot of work. The film also doesn’t soften him into a lovable antihero, which is the right call for a villain origin story. When Matt gets dangerous, he is properly scary, and there’s a nightclub sequence where he is both terrifying and wickedly fun to watch.
Naomi Ackie is the other big win. Caitlyn could easily have been a stock “mad scientist,” but Ackie makes her grounded, conflicted and even funny in a dry way. Her scenes with Harries are the emotional core of the film. David Dencik makes Szabo a nasty piece of work, and Eddie Marsan adds weight in a supporting role.
Body Horror, Tone and Direction
This is where Clayface really stands out. James Watkins goes for a classic monster-movie feel, closer to the old Universal horror films and David Cronenberg’s The Fly than to anything in the superhero genre. Faces melt, skin slides and bodies reshape themselves, and a lot of it is done with practical makeup and prosthetics that feel real and genuinely gross. If you’re squeamish, be warned: this one earns its R rating.
The look of the film helps too. Neon reds, deep shadows and grimy interiors give it a pulpy, B-movie atmosphere, and Volker Bertelmann’s score keeps the tension simmering underneath. With a reported budget of only around $40 million, Watkins makes smart choices about what to show and what to hide, and the film feels focused because of it.
Is Batman in Clayface? How It Fits the DCU
No, Batman does not appear in Clayface, and there is no mid-credits or post-credits scene. The film is set in Gotham and is part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU, but its connections to the wider universe are very light. Honestly, that’s one of its strengths. After all the debate about where the DCU is heading (we wrote about it in Only a Miracle Can Still Save the DCU), it’s refreshing to get a standalone story that doesn’t feel like homework for the next movie.
It also proves the DCU can work in very different genres. With Matt Reeves among the producers, Gotham clearly has room for more than one kind of story, whether that’s this, The Batman or whatever comes next.
Where Clayface Stumbles
Now for the honest part of our Clayface review. The first act is slow. It takes a while for the horror to kick in, and some viewers may get restless before the transformation really starts. Some of the sci-fi plot beats are also predictable if you’ve seen a few body horror films, and Max Minghella’s detective is more of a plot device than a real character.
The effects are mostly great, but a few of the bigger CGI transformations look dated next to the practical work. Gotham itself also doesn’t feel as atmospheric as it could, partly because of the smaller budget. Comic fans hoping for a lot of the classic Clayface look may be a little disappointed, since the full monster only shows up briefly. And without spoiling anything, a late twist will split audiences.
What We Loved
- Tom Rhys Harries’s fearless, unsettling lead performance
- Gross, inventive practical body horror
- Naomi Ackie’s grounded, conflicted Caitlyn
- A bold, old-school monster movie tone that feels fresh for DC
- A standalone story with no homework required
What Could Have Been Better
- A slow first act
- Some dated-looking CGI next to the great practical effects
- Predictable plot beats and a thin detective subplot
- Not much of the classic comic Clayface look
Final Verdict: 8.1/10
So, to sum up our Clayface review: this is not a typical superhero movie, and that’s exactly why it works. It’s a dark, gory, character-driven horror film with a terrific lead performance and some of the best practical effects in any comic book movie. The slow start and a few rough effects keep it from greatness, but DC took a real risk here, and it mostly pays off. If this is what the DCU looks like when it gets weird, we want more.
MovieAnimeX Rating: 8.1/10
Recommended For: Horror fans, anyone who loves The Fly or The Substance, Batman fans curious about Gotham’s darker corners, and anyone tired of superhero movies that all feel the same. Not recommended for the squeamish.
Also Read:
- Superman (2025) Review: A New Perspective on the Man of Steel Reaches New Heights
- All Batman Movies Ranked from Bottom to Best
- Batman: Knightfall Part 1 Review – When the Bat Finally Breaks
- Street Fighter (2026) Review – Campy, Chaotic and Packed With Fan Service
Clayface Review: FAQs
Is Clayface worth watching?
Yes, especially if you like horror. It has a terrific lead performance from Tom Rhys Harries and gross, inventive body horror, though the first act is slow. In our Clayface review, MovieAnimeX gives it 8.1/10.
Does Clayface have a post-credits scene?
No. Clayface has no mid-credits or post-credits scene, so you can leave when the credits start.
Is Batman in Clayface?
No. Batman does not appear in Clayface. The film is set in Gotham and is part of the DCU, but it is a standalone horror story.
Is Clayface releasing in Hindi in India?
Yes. Clayface released in Indian cinemas on October 23, 2026, in English and Hindi.
What is the runtime and age rating of Clayface?
Clayface runs 1 hour 48 minutes and is rated R in the US for strong bloody violence, gore, language, brief drug use and some nudity.
What are Clayface’s IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes scores?
As of October 24, 2026, Clayface has 7.6/10 on IMDb, a 76% critics score and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Who plays Clayface?
Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, the actor who becomes Clayface. Naomi Ackie co-stars as scientist Caitlyn Corr.
Did our Clayface review match what you felt in the theatre? Was the body horror too much, or just right? Have you watched it yet? Tell us your own rating in the comments below!
