Clayface is a body horror movie set in James Gunn's DC Universe, and it ended up being a pleasant surprise for me. I grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series on Saturday mornings, so I remember Clayface and his strange, monster-like appearance. I had no idea going in that this movie would draw inspiration from the show, which made that connection all the more enjoyable. The animated series leaned more into noir, while this film feels closer to Joker mixed with the body horror of David Cronenberg. Director James Watkins, best known for Speak No Evil, brings that same unsettling energy and deliberate direction to this film. He also makes the smart choice of keeping the camera on his actors long enough for their performances to do the work, specifically Naomi Ackie and Tom Rhys Harries.
Tom Rhys Harries gets the benefit of that approach, with the camera giving him room to carry his scenes without constantly cutting away. That decision suits the movie's more intimate and unsettling moments, where the performances are just as important as the body horror. Alongside Naomi Ackie, he helps anchor a film that could have easily relied too heavily on its more grotesque elements.
Speaking of Naomi Ackie, her performance deserves special recognition. Her subtle microexpressions are phenomenal, particularly the way she controls the smallest movements of her face and eyes to communicate what her character is feeling. It is the kind of work that can easily go unnoticed because it never calls attention to itself, but those little details add so much to her performance. I suspect her work will not receive nearly enough attention, which is a shame because she is one of the film's strongest assets.
Max Minghella is the weakest part of the movie for me. His character has essentially the same personality as Detective William Schenk in Spiral, and I was not particularly fond of that performance either. That said, I can acknowledge that his character serves a necessary purpose in the story. My issue is more with how Minghella handles the role than with the character's overall place in the screenplay. He brings the film down a little, even if he never manages to derail it completely.
David Dencik is excellent as Szabo. He brings the character a sense of authority that makes him feel like the DC equivalent of Marvel's Kingpin. There is something convincing about the way he occupies the screen, making him feel like someone who can exert control over a situation without needing to be the loudest person in the room. His performance gives the character the kind of presence that makes you believe he belongs in this world.
The screenplay from Mike Flanagan, known for The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep, and Hossein Amini, who wrote Drive, is about what I expected from the two of them. The balance between dramatic scenes and body horror works well, and I can imagine Amini contributing to the more drama-heavy material while Flanagan brought his horror sensibilities to the table. That is only my impression of how their strengths come together, but the combination makes sense. Clayface does a good job blending character-focused drama with the kind of grotesque horror that makes the premise work.
Clayface is a strong addition to the DC Universe, especially for someone like me who grew up with the animated series. The contrast between its noir-inspired roots and this much more disturbing, Cronenberg-like approach gives the character a fresh identity without losing what made his appearance memorable in the first place. Naomi Ackie is a standout, David Dencik brings real presence to his role, and James Watkins proves he can maintain an unsettling atmosphere without losing sight of the performances. Max Minghella keeps the movie from reaching its full potential, but it is a relatively minor issue in an otherwise compelling film. Result: A-
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