DC Studios body horror entry Clayface receives mixed initial critical response

DC Studios is set to release its body horror feature Clayface in theaters on October 23, with initial reviews presenting a divided critical response. Rotten Tomatoes, ComingSoon, and The Hollywood Reporter noted that while the project offers a distinctive change of texture for the franchise, its script and visual effects face criticism. [1][2][3][6]

Directed by James Watkins, the film follows Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood actor who undergoes an experimental medical treatment after being brutally disfigured by a crime boss. ComingSoon and ScreenRant report that the procedure, administered by a scientist, triggers a horrifying physical transformation that alters his sanity and sends him down a destructive path. [2][3][14]

Deadline reported that the screenplay was written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries stars in the title role alongside Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan. ComingSoon noted that critics have compared the lead performance by Harries to Oscar nominee Demi Moore. [2][7][14]

The feature marks the third theatrical installment in the DC Universe following Superman and Supergirl. Produced by Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris alongside DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, the project was designed as a Halloween-timed horror entry for the franchise. [1][14]