Clayface is not as good as Joker and The Penguin TV series, but it’s a serviceable entry in that rogue-gallery universe. Except it’s not…
Joker and The Penguin are DC Elseworlds and Clayface is DCU.
Got it? I hope so because I have no idea what is going on. DC Films, man, they can’t get out of their own way. George Constanza would thrive in that kind of environment…
Let’s ignore that mess and simply focus on Clayface with minimal spoilers.
Clayface
I wouldn’t be talking out of school to say Clayface is similar to Darkman. Both feature a character disfigured by the mob, who uses gobbledygook science (which is the best kind of science) to change their face and get revenge. A love interest in thrown in along the way.
Tone is what separates the two. Darkman is a pulpy comic book thriller with Sam Raimi’s signature style. Clayface is more grounded and edges into body horror territory. It is directed by James Watkins, who is known for the romantic comedy Eden Lake and the nasty little Black Mirror episode Shut Up and Dance.
Mike “Monologue” Flanagan (Midnight Mass) wrote the initial screenplay. Hossein Amini (47 Ronin) provided finishing touches when Flanagan had to step away due to his work on other projects.
Overall, the storyline does a reasonable job tracing Clayface’s journey from victim to villain. Flanagan and Amini deserve credit for tucking an outlandish concept into a somewhat believable package. Again, not talking about the science behind it, but the beats that drive Clayface’s actions along the way
Meanwhile, Watkins knows what to do behind the camera. He doesn’t achieve the Scorsese grit that Joker and The Penguin brush up against, but he is not working with the same tools. Clayface exists in a different social strata and is about a human T-1000. This lends itself to a story that is more about identity than incels or gangsters.
Clayface/Off
What Clayface lacks to propel it to something greater than the sum of its parts is a powerhouse performance.
Joker had Joaquin operating at an elite level. The Penguin had Farrell in demigod mode.
Clayface has Tom Rhys Harries in the title role.
Who? Exactly. Apparently, Harries appeared in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman, but I have no recollection of him.
This does not mean Harries is bad. He is perfectly fine as Clayface. Harries’s performance compels the viewer to tag along as he runs the gamut from Hollywood “It” man to ruined loser to Frankenstein creature. He simply does not hit an elite or demigod level during the proceedings. Fair play to him, though. Few do…
Joining Harries is Naomi Ackie as Scientist Woman.
Who? Supposedly, Ackie appeared in Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, but I have not watched that movie. What do you want from me? I watched Scary Movie 6. Isn’t that enough torture for one person?
It is easy to be flippant with Ackie’s role and dismiss her as DEI casting, but her relationship with Harries is surprisingly effective. She is committed to another man, but Harries can’t help but activate her Florence Nightingale button. She struggles with this as she works to help Harries and fears what he becomes.
This creates a quietly interesting dynamic that is something different from the usual vapid Hollywood lust fest.
Eddie Marsan (The World’s End), Max Minghella (The Social Network) and David Dencik (No Time to Die) also appear and do what they can with small roles as a manager, a cop and a villain.
Eyes Without a Clayface
Lack of a powerhouse performance is one of Clayface’s failings. Pace is another. The film takes a bit of time to build up steam after the initial event that sets things in motion. One taps their foot to a degree. As in, okay. Got. Let’s get to clayin’ time…
But once Clayface starts his journey to the dark side and embraces his true self, it’s entertaining in a general sense. I particularly enjoyed the way he brazenly did the lasso dance in front of the bad guys in the club toward the end.
How does the horror aspect work? Some gore happens. There’s an attempt at a cringe moment in an airplane bathroom, which is shown in the trailer. None of that goes too far, however, if anyone is familiar with Cronenberg.
The most effective horror in Clayface is psychological. A scene happens where Ackie watches Harries sleep, which works well. The denouement is also effective from that standpoint. My only wish is that the film could have spent more time with Clayface in full-on monster mode.
Clayface
Clayface is a worthy attempt at adding another entry to DC Film’s list of smaller, character-driven villain movies. Watkins, Flanagan, Amini, Harries and Ackie molded what could have been a shapeless mess into something watchable.
Clayface isn’t the best DC villain film, but it’s solid enough to put me in line for the follow up. Next should be KGBeast!
