By Ben Wright (@Iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
When rising Hollywood star Matt Hagen suffers a horrific disfigurement, an experimental treatment offers him a chance to reclaim his face and career. But as the treatment begins to change him in ways nobody could have predicted, Matt’s search for revenge takes a dark and increasingly disturbing turn.
I love a good villain origin story, but there’s a fine line between making a character sympathetic and making them so sympathetic that you end up rooting for them rather than accepting what they’re becoming. Clayface understands that difference, and for me, that’s one of its biggest strengths. We get to understand Matt Hagen’s fall from grace and the circumstances that lead him down this path, but the film never loses sight of the villain he’s destined to become. A few shades of grey can make a character more interesting, but they shouldn’t have to become the whole picture. I want to see the origin story, the choices that lead to the downfall and the transformation into something monstrous, not a film that spends so long justifying its villain that it forgets what made them a villain in the first place.
It’s something I’ve become increasingly frustrated with in recent years, particularly when it comes to films trying to make familiar villains into sympathetic leads. Sony’s run of Spider-Man spin-offs is an obvious example, with films that seem determined to make us see the good in characters who are supposed to be the bad guys. There’s nothing wrong with exploring what makes someone tick, and I don’t need every villain to be evil for the sake of it, but understanding someone’s actions isn’t the same as excusing them. Clayface gets that balance right. Matt’s story is tragic, and you can feel for him as his life starts to fall apart, but that doesn’t mean the film expects you to approve of everything he does. I also appreciated that it doesn’t try to completely undo that idea by turning him into some sort of antihero at the last minute.
Pacing is another strong point, with the revenge plot following some fairly familiar beats. You can probably guess the general direction things are heading, but I never found that stopped me enjoying the ride. The kills are creative, satisfyingly nasty and give the film plenty of opportunities to show just how dangerous Clayface can be. There’s a real sense of escalation as Matt’s transformation progresses, and the body horror becomes increasingly uncomfortable to watch. It doesn’t feel as though the film is relying on blood and gore alone, either, because the physical changes are tied directly to what’s happening to Matt and the person he’s becoming.
For a relatively modestly budgeted body-horror film, Clayface packs a punch. Some of the visual effects do show the limitations of the budget, while the practical effects and makeup work are often excellent. Even when a shot doesn’t quite convince, it rarely pulls me out of the scene. This film made me squirm, particularly with its use of eye trauma, which is something I’m really not good with! I spent a fair amount of time scrunching up my face and looking away, so credit to the filmmakers for getting such a strong reaction out of me. There’s plenty here to unsettle anyone with particular phobias, but if you’re a horror fan, that’s part of the appeal. The film isn’t afraid to make you uncomfortable, and I had a lot of fun with that, even when I was desperately wishing certain scenes would end.
Tom Rhys Harries is phenomenal as Matt Hagen, delivering a performance with an incredible range of emotion as the character transforms both physically and mentally. There’s a lot to get across here, from the man Matt is at the beginning to the increasingly frightening figure he becomes, and Harries makes that journey compelling. I’d argue he’s given us a performance worthy of the awards conversation. Naomi Ackie is a fantastic addition too, and her chemistry with Harries is a big part of what makes their relationship work. Max Minghella, Joshua James and Eddie Marsan round out a strong supporting cast, all getting their moments to shine without taking the focus away from Matt’s story.
Mike Flanagan’s involvement is an interesting part of Clayface‘s journey to the big screen. He’s been pushing for a standalone film for years, with his original idea drawing inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series, particularly the two-part Feat of Clay story. Given Flanagan’s love of horror, it’s easy to see why this character appealed to him, and I think a body-horror approach is exactly the right direction to take. He eventually handed the project over, with James Watkins directing and Hossein Amini reworking the screenplay, and Flanagan has since said he hasn’t seen the finished film and that it’s very much not his. So while his original vision isn’t necessarily what we’ve ended up with, I’m glad the idea made it to the screen. Clayface proves you don’t need to turn every comic book villain into a stepping stone towards the next big superhero crossover; sometimes it’s far more interesting to give them the space to tell their own story.
For me, Clayface is one of the best villain origin stories we’ve had on the big screen in a long time. It’s a bloody, violent and occasionally darkly funny body-horror revenge thriller that knows what it wants to achieve. The story may follow a familiar template, and the effects aren’t always perfect, but the performances, unsettling practical work and willingness to let a villain become a villain make up for those shortcomings. It’s also largely self-contained, with only a few breadcrumbs connecting it to the wider DC Universe, so you don’t need to do any homework before watching. You can just sit back, get uncomfortable and watch Matt Hagen’s life unravel.
Clayface is a bloody, unsettling and thoroughly entertaining body-horror thriller, showcasing a phenomenal Tom Rhys Harries performance. While it might be a familiar revenge story, Clayface is elevated by gruesome effects and a villain origin that understands you can sympathise with a monster without having to make them a hero.
