Despite a vibrant look and some grisly effects, Clayface is another confused, underwhelming misstep for movies based on DC Comics.
At this point, we need to stop allowing movies based on comic book villains. Since the release of Suicide Squad in 2016, Hollywood has been trying to take the successful formula of superhero movies and apply them to their rogues gallery of baddies. Yet save for one exception (oddly enough, 2021’s The Suicide Squad), almost every attempt to make a solo villain movie has failed. Sony’s three Venom films have only made money seemingly out of irony, and the less said about its other outputs the better. The two Joker films are cinematic misery porn that somehow managed to earn Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar and tank Lady Gaga’s movie career. Even the success of The Suicide Squad can partially be credited to how terrible the 2016 original was by comparison.
So why don’t these movies work? The big reason, which should be obvious, is character. If a movie is to tell the story of how a villain came to be, it’s best to frame it as a tragedy: a character has meager beginnings, he suffers a series of unfortunate events, his actions take a dark turn, deeming him villainous, bing-bang-boom. The inherent flaw in the formula is that, since the audience already knows the end result is becoming an established bad guy, it’s easy to predict how every plot point and twist is going to play out. Anything our protagonist does, we can assume it’s going to end badly.
So what does Clayface have to offer? Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is a rising star in Hollywood thanks to his suave looks and rags-to-riches story. Returning to stomping grounds of Gotham City, Matt has a little too much fun one night and crosses crime boss Marcos Szabo (David Dencik). Not only is Matt’s gorgeous face cut to a bloody monstrosity by Szabo’s goons, but he also loses all of his friends and money as a result. Desperate to get his life (and face) back, he finds Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) and her experimental substance that can restore damaged skin. Though seeming like a miracle, the treatment starts having horrifying side effects when Matt starts thinking of vengeance against those who wronged him.
Mistaken identity.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Credit to Warner Bros. and DC Studios for using the aura of horror to tell a villain origin story instead of an action film like Kraven the Hunter or…whatever the hell Joker: Folie à Deux was trying to be. Director James Watkins has a background in creeping dread (The Woman in Black) working with a script credited to Oscar nominee Hossein Amini and horror auteur/Stephen King acolyte Mike Flanagan. Those aren’t the only players trying to elevate Clayface. Cinematographer Rob Hardy lights the movie with an intense glow and vibrant colors, while the set designers do well making Gotham have a balance between realistic and exaggerated metropolis.
The stage is certainly set, but Clayface can’t find the right rhythm between tragedy and righteousness. One minute Matt is horrified at his worsening condition, the next he’s using it to exact revenge. Whether it’s because of the script or the editing or the direction, the key moments of Matt’s story have an awkward flow and connection to each other. There’s little meaningful buildup to Matt making his shocking decisions. It’s as if the movie thinks it’s cutting out the fat of boring dialogue to get to the meat of drama and body horror. In reality, Clayface cares more about getting as much of its style on the screen in under two hours than building interesting characters to fall from grace.
It harkens back to Sam Raimi‘s Darkman without the flashy execution or dramatic heft. Any attempts Clayface makes to lighten the mood fall flat and its more comic-booky moments feel out of place (especially when the special effects are lacking at certain points). This leaves the movie in a consistent puddle of understated woe. Watkins is a competent visual storyteller, but there needs to be some kind of extra kick to make the story beats land emotionally. Without it, every step of Matt’s tragic journey feels more obligatory than natural.
Pieces mashed together.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Rhys Harries certainly fits the bill of a tragic hero: wavy blonde hair, rugged chin, eyes that want to charm an audience desperately. Yet, either because of the underdeveloped script or weak direction, the actor comes off strange when trying to be charming and lame when trying to be evil. He gets better at portraying Matt’s torment as the movie goes on, so much so that you wish he had more time in earlier scenes to further develop a decaying mindset.
Someone else who deserves more screen time is Ackie. She has good screen presence and matches (even trumps) the charisma of her co-star. But like her co-star, she’s not given enough room in the movie to build on the chemistry she clearly has with Rhys Harries. The rest of the cast features dependable character actors filling in the background well enough. Eddie Marsan does fined as Matt’s sleazy business rep, Max Minghella is solid as a Gotham detective, and Corey Johnson hams it up as one of Szabo’s goofy goons.
The bottom line.
There’s an irony to Clayface‘s tagline being, “Look fear in the face,” considering it’s one of the most distinctive-looking comic book movies in some time. Sadly, the vibrant visuals can’t cover a confused script or direction that can’t look closer at its characters. It’s good that James Gunn‘s vision for DC Studios includes more creative characters and different genres. There still needs to be creativity in the script to make these stories coalesce.
Clayface is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer below.
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
REVIEW RATING
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Clayface - 5/10
5/10
