The DC Universe is going body horror. Clayface, the third film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DCU, opens in U.S. theaters this Friday, October 23 — and the first reviews suggest this Clayface movie is one of the strangest, boldest superhero films ever made.

Directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, the film takes one of Batman’s classic villains and reimagines him through the lens of classic monster movies — less cape-and-cowl spectacle, more The Fly meets Universal horror.

The Story: A Star Who Loses His Face

Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood actor whose career is destroyed when a brutal attack leaves him horribly disfigured. Desperate to restore his appearance, Hagen volunteers for an experimental medical treatment from a scientist played by Naomi Ackie — one that transforms his entire body into a shape-shifting mass of living clay.

What follows is a descent into villainy: driven by the loss of his looks, his career, and eventually his grip on reality, Hagen uses his terrifying new powers to take revenge on those who destroyed his life. The supporting cast includes David Dencik as a Gotham mobster, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan.

The film premiered at the Hollywood Legion Theater in Los Angeles on October 13 and arrives as part of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is reportedly rated R — a deliberate play for the Halloween corridor.

A Long Road to the Screen

Clayface has been a passion project for years. Flanagan publicly expressed interest in a Clayface film during the old DC Extended Universe era, then pitched the project to the newly formed DC Studios in March 2023. His involvement was confirmed in December 2024, though scheduling issues kept him from directing; Watkins — known for Eden Lake and the Speak No Evil remake — was hired in February 2025, with Amini brought in to rewrite the script that May.

Rhys Harries, a Welsh actor with 15 years of stage and screen work in English and Welsh productions, was cast in June 2025 in what marks his first major studio movie role — and the first cinematic adaptation of a character who first appeared in DC comics in 1940 as a Batman villain.

Filming ran from late August to early November 2025, on location in Liverpool and on soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England. The production leaned heavily on practical effects: Rhys Harries has said he spent roughly half his shooting days with the special-effects makeup team applying the extensive prosthetics required for the role — and that wearing them actually helped his performance, letting him physically inhabit the character’s discomfort.

What Critics Are Saying About the Clayface Movie

Reviews have been sharply divided — which, for a body-horror comic book movie, might be the best possible outcome.

The A.V. Club praised the film’s “Universal Monster sensibility,” arguing it works best when meeting it on its own terms, though it found the body horror “a little workmanlike.” CBR called Clayface “a bold swing” with strong effects and spirited performances, but felt the emotional stakes ultimately fell short — “much like its lead character, the film feels a bit empty inside.”

On the enthusiastic end, Big Gold Belt declared it “a DC horror triumph,” praising Watkins’s atmospheric direction, the extraordinary practical effects, and a career-defining turn from Rhys Harries matched by Ackie: “It is intense, disturbing, beautifully crafted, and surprisingly heartbreaking.” Heaven of Horror likewise recommended the theatrical experience, calling the practical effects “mind-blowing.”

At a reported budget of around $45 million, the film is also one of the leanest big-studio comic book movies in recent memory — a mid-budget horror play in a genre that has increasingly lived and died on nine-figure openings.

Why the Clayface Movie Matters for DC

Clayface is a genuine experiment: proof, if it works, that DC Studios can explore its villains through entirely different genres without sacrificing what makes the characters compelling. Where Sony’s Spider-Man villain spinoffs were criticized for sanding their monsters into antiheroes, Watkins and Flanagan keep Hagen a pitiable, sometimes wicked creature — a classic monster whose unusual physique and human weaknesses team up to foster his ultimate alienation.

Whether audiences show up for an R-rated body-horror DC film the weekend before Halloween will say a lot about the DCU’s appetite for risk. Early tracking and the divided critical response suggest a cult favorite in the making either way.

People Also Ask (FAQ)

When does Clayface release in theaters?

Clayface releases in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It premiered in Los Angeles on October 13, 2026.

Who plays Clayface in the DC movie?

Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen / Clayface, alongside Naomi Ackie as Dr. Caitlin Bates, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan.

Is Clayface part of the DC Universe?

Yes. It is the third film in the DCU — James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted shared universe — and part of its Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate. It was produced by Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris alongside Gunn and Safran.

Is Clayface rated R?

The film is reportedly rated R, leaning into body horror — an unusual move for a DC Studios release and a deliberate fit for the pre-Halloween release window.

Who wrote and directed Clayface?

James Watkins directed from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, based on Flanagan’s story. Flanagan originated the project, pitching it to DC Studios in March 2023.

Sources: The A.V. Club | CBR

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