“Clayface” is a movie that degrades with time, gradually getting worse the longer it goes on. Although it starts off strong as a body horror film about losing control of your body, it later drifts away from its horror focus and turns into an action-filled revenge plot.
The film follows in-universe actor Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, as his face is completely disfigured, ruining his acting career. He takes up an experimental medicine that heals his face, though only momentarily until he overdoses on the new technology and becomes a shapeshifting monster.
At the start of the film, Hagen is a star with everything he could ever want before getting disfigured by the Gotham mob and falling out of stardom.
It’s a rather basic setup, but it works perfectly fine for the movie. It doesn’t feel cliche in the setting of the film, despite it being a common trope.
Hagen undergoes an experimental treatment to try and restore his face. An overdose leads to him becoming the titular Clayface, having a body that can morph and change like clay. At first, this power is entirely emotion-based; his body only changes subconsciously, like turning into the mob boss that disfigured him when he’s angry, or turning into his love interest when experiencing comfort.
When it’s this uncontrollable thing, it creates a good sense of horror. There are some tense body horror segments, like when Hagen’s eyes are sealed shut after he gets angry and he has to cut them back open with scissors on a turbulent plane.
After he gains control of his transformations, the film turns into a revenge fantasy flick with Hagen hunting down everyone who wronged him. Although it is not as strong as when the movie was unapologetically horror, it’s still fun.
The action sequences and the kills are enjoyable. The film has great fight scenes and a fantastic death visual where Hagen’s blood seeps into someone’s face and slowly rises back out to reamerge with his face, dragging the victim’s face off with it.
Unfortunately one of the film’s weakest aspects is Dr. Caitlin Bates, played by Naomi Ackie. She is the main supporting character who gives Hagen the experimental medicine. She feels more like a plot device and a love interest for Hagen than a genuine character. Hagen’s attraction towards Bates feels much more developed, while Bate’s attraction towards Hagen feels obligatory. She is largely conflicted about him throughout the movie, not sure of her feelings, yet it’s difficult to understand where that conflict comes from.
The connection they share feels unrealistic, reducing Bates to a role that only serves the plot. The climax feels undeserved due to the under-development of her character and her unbelievable relationship with Hagen.
As a character, Clayface has difficulty carrying two hours of film. Clayface was always designed as a secondary villain for Batman, and has never had an iconic plotline that he carries alone.
This could’ve been one of the best renditions of the character of Clayface if he was the villain to a different character’s movie rather than the focal point of his own film. As is, he’s dragged down by the rather flat surrounding characters who aren’t able to help the movie shape into a complete experience.
“Clayface” is enjoyable; it’s just unfortunate that an incredible first half was followed up by a relatively mediocre second half, which gives the film a sour aftertaste.
Copy edited by Camila Verzino
