Clayface Review: DC Finally Made a Real Body Horror Movie

Clayface review time: DC Studios finally made a real horror movie, and we walked out of it with a 7 and a 4.5. Full spoilers and the ending explained. James Watkins' Clayface, based on a story by Mike Flanagan, follows Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood star whose face is carved up by a Gotham mob boss's henchmen. Desperate to get his life back, he signs up for an experimental regenerative treatment that isn't ready for human trials. It works. Then it keeps working. Arthur and Meaghan break down DC Studios' first horror movie, from the plastic surgery and aging commentary to body horror that goes further than you'd expect from a comic book movie (it's no Cronenberg, but it isn't shy either). How Mike Flanagan Got DC to Make a Clayface Horror Movie Mike Flanagan came up with the Clayface story and co-wrote the screenplay, but his slate (the Carrie series and The Exorcist: Martyrs) kept him from directing. James Gunn never planned on a Clayface movie; Flanagan's pitch and script changed his mind. We never expected to review a DC movie on this show. Here we are. Body Horror, Plastic Surgery and the Fear of Aging Think The Fly meets The Substance, comic book edition. Meaghan's tagline: keep going with plastic surgery, and this is what we'll all look like in a decade. R-rated gore that mostly doesn't cut away (we still want that mace shot). Clayface Cast: Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie and Who Almost Played Matt Hagen Tom Rhys Harries' uncanny, chiseled-but-soft face is perfect casting for a man made of clay. Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice, Mickey 17, I Love Boosters) plays Dr. Caitlyn Corr. Eddie Marsan, Max Minghella, David Dencik and Joshua James round out the cast. George MacKay, Tom Blyth, Jack O'Connell and Leo Woodall all read for the role. Clayface Scare Factor and Scores Scare Factor: Creep Me Out / Solid Scares. The eye stuff got Arthur. Arthur gives it 7 digs. Meaghan gives it 4.5: a strong first half, then the comic book villain origin took over. Find your next watch with the Horror Movie Picker. Favorites: Practical Effects, Gotham Aesthetic and Shapeshifting Transitions The makeup and reconstruction work on Matt's face looks mostly practical, and it's great. An old-school Warner Bros. logo and older songs make this Gotham feel like it could be any decade. The nightclub sequence where Matt flips through identities is the fun comic book stuff done right. Clayface Ending Explained The bow from the man on the street, the boiler room, the kiss: we walk through the final scene. Our read: Caitlyn is never really there. Watch the feet. It's all clay. Some people in our theater saw it very differently, so we break down why. Follow us & Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcast TikTok Instagram Threads Grave Tone Horror Podcast Website Horror Newsletter Background music by: Steve Swisher from the Producer's Chair Podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.