So can they really pull it off? Can the DCU use small side projects to do interesting and different things? Does Clayface deliver something new in the world of superhero movies?
Lanterns started well, and was intriguing and engaging… right up until the point that it wasn’t, and Lindelof and King became all too evident.
Will Clayface avoid those traps? Well, the reviews are in for Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios’ latest, and the answer appears to be – mostly.
Praise for the leads and the lean into body horror. A theme seems to be wishing it stayed there.
To the summary pages!
“The British leads are impressive, Harries channelling Demi Moore in The Substance, Ackie the biotech renegade Elizabeth Holmes, and there is a knowing cameo from Rob Brydon as a smarmy talk show host.”
Ed Potton, The Times
“A decent monster movie, with all the straightforward entertainment value that comes with telling a story about a wet pile of gelatinous flesh that kills people.”
William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“DC Studios isn’t skittishly toe-dipping into its first-ever foray into the genre with Clayface; it’s a full-on body horror movie filled with squirm-inducing moments. At least for the first half.”
Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
“Perhaps the characters and conflicts introduced here would pall if given the franchise treatment, but in the context of a single, genre-melding romp, they’re fresh and ickily enjoyable.”
Guy Lodge, Variety
“The first half of Clayface stands out for the way director James Watkins uses this scenario to create some deeply gruesome horror scenarios. Then, when Matt begins to get a stronger grip on his abilities, things kick into a whole new gear, with some fantastic sequences that play beautifully with the idea of a shapeshifter seeking revenge.”
Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
For the less positive reviews, here is what some have to say:
“For a movie about a pile of sentient goo that can will itself to look like anyone or anything, there is a disheartening lack of self-awareness, or self-respect, when it comes to Clayface’s blatant cinematic cribbing.”
Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail
“The uneven nature of the film, its plotting, its character motivations, and its aims only become bigger and bloodier as the film winds on. Malleable, sure, but this ambitious misfire can never conform to one shape, one final form, or one good idea.”
Kate Erbland, Indiewire
