“Clayface” is directed by James Watkins (Eden Lake, Speak No Evil) and stars Tom Rhys Harries (White Lines, Suspicion), Naomi Ackie (I Love Boosters, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), David Dencik (Serena, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Max Minghella (Spiral, The Handmaid’s Tale), and Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky, The World’s End). This is the third film in the Detective Comics Universe and is about star actor Matt Hagen who becomes disfigured by a mobster, motivating him to undergo a scientific procedure to restore his appearance. However, the procedure goes wrong, turning Hagen into a creepy monster who seeks revenge.

About a decade ago, the comic book movie sub-genre was creme of the crop. Whether we are talking quality or box office. The Marvel Cinematic Universe in particular had hit after hit after hit after hit. This even includes the Tom Holland-starring “Spider-Man” films, which wound up being collaborations between the Disney-owned Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures.

Around the same time, Sony thought of ways to make use of Spider-Man characters without necessarily making Peter Parker or the MCU the center of attention. The “Spider-Verse” movies have been particularly phenomenal and I cannot wait to see what they do with a third installment when it comes out. Another direction they took was to make live-action films based on Spider-Man villains. The “Venom” movies in particular made a bit of money, but that character was by far the biggest hit Sony had with this run. I say that as someone who particularly did not enjoy two out of three “Venom” movies, but I know they have fans and those fans definitely showed up at the box office, even during the second movie as theaters continued their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

I say this because “Clayface,” which is based on a DC character, not Marvel, feels like a superior version of those movies. This is not to say that “Clayface” is Shakespeare. But if you are a DC fan, chances are you might be satisfied. If you are a horror movie fan, chances are you might be satisfied. If you are looking for a quick, decent watch, chances are you might be satisfied. I do not know if this film is going to be for everyone. This is the third film in the DCU. Unlike the last two, not only does it center on a less than heroic character, but there is a massive genre shift from the previous movies. I would also avoid recommending this movie for younger audiences. The film is rated R, and for good reason.

The Sony Spider-Man Universe movies and “Clayface” have their differences. I think these differences are what make “Clayface” watchable for me. This film is a bit more grounded than say “Venom,” which yes, also sees its main character turn into something of a monster, but whereas that film sort of treats Eddie Brock as an anti-hero, “Clayface” sees its main character, Matt Hagen, as something of a bad guy. From that alone, pulling off a movie like “Clayface” is somewhat difficult because it becomes harder to root for the main character. At least on paper. However, the movie’s execution of his journey, puts that fear to the side.

For one thing, Tom Rhys Harries is a great choice to play the lead. This is not my first time seeing Harries on screen. I watched him in “The Gentlemen” years ago, but I am not going to pretend I remember him from the movie. Heck, I barely remember the movie in general. I did not think it was that great. “Clayface” marks the first time that I got to truly soak in Harries’ talents. I would love to see more roles from him down the line and I think this film is a proper showcase of what he is capable of. Granted, he is given material that is not only fun to watch, but I imagine for an actor, is a hoot to see come to life. Every actor dreams about those milestone moments in their career from the big break to awards recognition. In this film, the character of Matt Hagen is on top of the world. He has a successful line of work. The film sees him being nominated for an Oscar. While “Clayface” may not be an Oscar-worthy film, it is neat to see the joy Harries experiences early on in the film. It is a good setup for what is to come.

Though just because “Clayface” is not Oscar-worthy does not mean you should avoid it. Actually, quite the opposite. This film at times has the same B-movie feel that Sony and Marvel’s “Venom” gave years ago. Although “Clayface” feels like it has an artistic touch, whereas “Venom” at times gave the illusion that it came off an assembly line. DC Studios is taking a much different approach with its characters than some other comic book movie universes, including the preceding Detective Comics Extended Universe. Sure, the DCEU had “Suicide Squad” in 2016, which centered around various criminals or villains like Killer Croc and Harley Quinn, but the story put them in a situation where they played a more heroic role. They were put in a position where they had to “do the right thing.” Granted, everyone is the hero of their own story. Therefore, even someone with bad morals believes they are doing the right thing, even if most people would argue it is for the wrong reason. But whereas “Suicide Squad” saw indecent people fighting for the greater good, “Clayface” sees its main character taking on people for more personal reasons.

This is one of the reasons why I would say unlike “Superman,” “Clayface” is not a film for every audience. One could argue that no film in history is for everyone, but “Clayface” is an R-rated body horror film. Heck, I am friends with someone who uses their AMC A-List stubs to the same degree that a “Mario Kart” player way behind in the pack will use a blue shell. And that is just about any chance they get. Despite this, the person told me they are avoiding this movie because it is in their words “too horror.” For the record, having seen the movie, I never found anything in it to be revoltingly scary or nightmare-inducing. Though I can see several audiences walking out of this film at least somewhat creeped out by it. When I say this film is not the scariest I have ever watched. I do not mean this as a dig. It is definitely creepy, but it is not like there is one particular scene that made me jump out of my skin. “Clayface” is a film that successfully combines different genres and ideas. It is part body horror, part revenge action thriller, part character study. It handles these concepts rather well.

The movie is also very nice-looking. While it may not look as expensive as “Superman,” “Clayface” does make the most of its reported $44 million budget. Despite the movie being a bit dark, it has some colorful and neon-filled scenes. The lighting is pristine and very much sets the mood. I know I said this film is not Oscar-worthy, but I will not deny that the makeup specifically could pick up a nomination. The makeup effects, particularly on Harries’ character as we see him evolve, easily caught my attention.

Another thing that caught my attention is the film’s aspect ratio. The film is in 2.76:1, or Ultra Panavision. It is such an unusual choice to have an aspect ratio like that for any movie coming out nowadays. In fact, director Watkins says the reason he wanted to have the aspect ratio is to make the movie look epic and old-school. I can definitely tell that is what Watkins was trying to go for. Heck, I thought “Sinners” was one of the most epic movies released last year and that used Ultra Panavision quite well. I cannot confirm or deny whether that film inspired Watkins to shoot “Clayface” the way he did, but I would not be surprised if that is the case. After all, the film was shot months after “Sinners” came out, when it was still a hot topic. Although to be completely real, even if Watkins wants to sell me on such an adjective, “epic” is not the first word I would use to describe “Clayface,” especially when the previous two movies in the DCU feature powerful characters who fly and deal with matters on multiple planets. This is not to say that “Clayface” is not interesting or fun. But epic feels bit exaggerative. On that note, I think a taller aspect ratio would have arguably been more fitting because it would it add to the film’s overall feeling of discomfort. That’s just me.

When I do these comic book movie reviews, I often like to take a look at where exactly the cinematic universe would go from this point. Sadly, due to recent events including James Gunn and Peter Safran stepping down as the heads of DC Studios, and Jeremy Latcham taking their place, the roadmap is a bit unclear as of now. Though prior to this happening, I cannot imagine most audiences would have guessed that the third movie set in this cinematic universe would have focused on Clayface. Heck, this is a Batman villain, and yet, we have still not gotten a Batman movie. Sure, technically, Batman has already appeared in the DCU to a certain extent with HBO Max’s “Creature Commandos” series, but that is about all the universe has given us. Personally, I am at the point where I do not care what comic book character you focus on first in your universe. Maybe you should start with a “big gun” like Superman to draw the audience in, but after that, you have permission to go crazy. This is especially true if James Gunn and Peter Safran were to actually stay. However, this month proves that we can never have nice things.

When Gunn was involved with the DCEU, he worked on “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker.” The former is still my favorite DC movie and the latter is action-packed and hilarious. Sticking with the former, that film saw Gunn bringing unlikely characters to the forefront like King Shark and Polka Dot Man. So, if Gunn and Safran were cool with bringing someone like Clayface to fruition early on, I am for it. My rule is make a good movie first. It does not matter who appears in that movie. It is more of a matter of what you do with the idea or characters that movie centers around. Am I concerned about what these movies are building up to at this point? Not necessarily, though it is nice to imagine what this universe’s version of a Justice League could resemble. For now, I am just enjoying the ride.

The movie is not entirely perfect. Even though the film does have a different flair and direction for a comic book based-film, it does feel somewhat predictable in certain ways. This is not to say that such predictable moments were bad. But as the movie progressed, the roadmap was somewhat clear as to where the character of Matt Hagen would take himself. Having watched a number of comic book movies and origin stories through said subgenre, there is often a formula to these stories that becomes repetitive with each go. The formula can work, but there are a lot of origin stories that tend to borrow elements from others to the point where I end up thinking, “Oh, I have seen this happen in that movie,” multiple times during the same experience. What really separates “Clayface” from many of the other origin stories of this kind that have been brought to the screen is that this one does not necessarily focus on someone who becomes a hero. Matt Hagen wants revenge. Sure, if you look at a movie like 2002’s “Spider-Man,” Peter Parker wanted to get revenge and take down the person who killed Uncle Ben, but as the movie progresses, we see Peter remember his uncle’s teachings and philosophies, making him the hero everyone looks up to. Hagen is in a position where he feels like he has reached his lowest low, and now he feels the need to fight back to the top.

The film runs for an hour and 48 minutes. For the first half, the film is by no means boring, but it often feels like it is taking some time just to get going. The more action-packed material happens in the second half, which is to be expected, but at times I felt like I was barely pacing through the first half just to get to that action-packed latter portion. The film is nevertheless entertaining in each scene, even if some clearly stand out better than others. Despite the film’s flaws, there is still enough to write home about with “Clayface.”

In the end, “Clayface” is a lot of fun. This is the third DCU movie, and again, with James Gunn and Peter Safran leaving, I have no idea where things are going to go, but if they were to stay, I would tell them that if we can keep getting movies as enjoyable as this, then this universe is going in the right direction. It is much-needed win for the DCU at this point, at least on the movie front. I have heard decent things on the TV side with “Lanterns,” but I have not had time to check it out. But movie-wise, this is significantly better than “Supergirl,” which is almost the worst movie I have seen this year. That film, which was directed by Craig Gillespie, felt like it was helmed by someone doing a bad James Gunn impression. Gunn has some experience with horror. I recommend watching “Slither” if you have the chance. But this feels more like an artist doing a story with their own touch rather than seeing someone emulate another person. The film is predictable and takes a little while to get to the nitty gritty, but I give it a thumbs up. I am going to give “Clayface” a 7/10.

“Clayface” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

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