Reviews are in for Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios’ “Clayface” film, and the results are fairly mixed.
With 83 reviews counted, the movie sits at 75% (6.7/10) on Rotten Tomatoes and 59/100 on Metacritic.
That’s a distinct improvement on the mostly panned “Supergirl” film, but not quite at the same heights as Gunn’s “Superman” film, which was at 83% (7.2/10) on RT and 68/100 on MC.
This isn’t a case of half love/half hate reviews either. Most of the reviews paint a fairly mixed picture with a lot of 3/5 and 3.5/5 scores. Certain set pieces and themes are praised and its leads garner good notices for their performances.
Criticism is mostly tied to the filmmaking fundamentals, with the editing, writing and tone, which seem as malleable as its protagonist at times. Here’s a sampling of reviews.
“DC Studios isn’t skittishly toe-dipping into its first-ever foray into the genre with Clayface; it’s a full-on body horror movie filled with squirm-inducing moments. At least for the first half.” – Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
“The British leads are impressive, Harries channelling Demi Moore in The Substance, Ackie the biotech renegade Elizabeth Holmes, and there is a knowing cameo from Rob Brydon as a smarmy talk show host.” – Ed Potton, The Times
“Perhaps the characters and conflicts introduced here would pall if given the franchise treatment, but in the context of a single, genre-melding romp, they’re fresh and ickily enjoyable.” – Guy Lodge, Variety
“A decent monster movie, with all the straightforward entertainment value that comes with telling a story about a wet pile of gelatinous flesh that kills people.” – William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“The first half of Clayface stands out for the way director James Watkins uses this scenario to create some deeply gruesome horror scenarios. Then, when Matt begins to get a stronger grip on his abilities, things kick into a whole new gear, with some fantastic sequences that play beautifully with the idea of a shapeshifter seeking revenge.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“Director James Watkins’ unnerving, frustrating thriller can only do so much melting Tom Rhys Harries’ sharp features amid a bunch of creepy scenes and a severe lack of character development.” – Brian Truitt, USA Today
“For a movie about a pile of sentient goo that can will itself to look like anyone or anything, there is a disheartening lack of self-awareness, or self-respect, when it comes to Clayface’s blatant cinematic cribbing.” – Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail
“The uneven nature of the film, its plotting, its character motivations, and its aims only become bigger and bloodier as the film winds on. Malleable, sure, but this ambitious misfire can never conform to one shape, one final form, or one good idea.” – Kate Erbland, Indiewire
The film also became the unexpected star of an online kerfuffle over review embargoes and journalist ethics on X over the past 48 hours. A journalist caught the film at a paid screening and posted their review early, whereas journalists attending press screenings were under embargo until today.
