In Clayface, actor Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is on top of the world following an Oscar nomination for his latest movie. After night out on the town, an altercation with a notorious mob boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik) leaves the young actor disfigured and his career ruined. After hearing about scientist Caitlyn Corr’s experimental regenerative nanotechnology, he works with her to restore his face to what it was. Soon after, he begins to lose his sanity as he is unable to recognize himself.
Much was made in selling this film as a departure from typical comic book movie fare due to its anticipated horror elements. While the story itself is less horror inspired (more on that later), the visuals and set pieces are not only straightforward body horror, but some of the most gnarly gore you’ll see on a big screen. The gruesomeness of the scenes throughout the film, from Matt Hagan’s disfigurement, to his gradual transformation into the titular character, to the death scenes, cannot be understated. While body horror does make me wince at times, I’m generally not too squeamish, but many of the scenes in Clayface frequently made me wince and cringe while watching. And lest you think the film relies on blood and guts exclusively to garner audience reaction, some of the worst scenes come when there is no blood at all, notably a tense airplane bathroom scene where Matt is forced to cut his eyelids open as his condition causes them to meld shut with skin.
The quality of Matt’s transformation into a shapeshifting monster and the body horror elements of his powers must be attributed to the film’s makeup and visual effects teams which do a fantastic job in presenting something compelling and convincing onscreen. Clayface is a mid budget film, but the effects are top notch despite the limited access to capital. That is attributable to the work put in behind the scenes during production.
It’s not all about the horror elements and visuals however, as the movie does have some cool story elements to go along with its scares. The action scenes are of fair quality with the best being an insanely entertaining club fight scene during the movie’s third act that features some clever transformation sequences from Matt that again highlight how great of a job the effects team did. Watching as a rising actor deals with facing his vanity and his having tied his worth to his looks and all that they have afforded him when they’re suddenly taken from him is compelling to watch, in no small part because of how well this emotional journey is sold by Harries. Harries’ portrayal of a man betrayed, hitting rock bottom, then transforming into someone else, literally and figuratively, ultimately carries a lot of Clayface’s weight. His descent into villainy entails a range of emotions that Harries captures well and in a believable way. His romantic subplot with Ackie’s Caitlyn also works as the two display measurable chemistry and Ackie performs well as we’ve come to expect from her onscreen. A pivotal turning point in their relationship, and in Matt’s development into Clayface, during the movie’s third act is a great choice that is well executed as Matt cross a line into the point of no return that makes one into a villain. As modern media trends toward misunderstood villains, what Matt does obviously turns him irredeemable and into a true bad guy instead of a morally grey character. It’s the right choice for the story and the character.
That is the only bit of the story that is positively notable however as overall, Clayface’s revenge and villain backstory feel rote and slightly thin due to the less than two hour runtime. There’s no new twist on the tale and the lack of buildup to Matt’s disfigurement is felt because the movie is short on time. The film’s villain Szabo (David Dencik) is just as generic and not compelling or standout at all.
Despite its flaws, there’s enough in Clayface to have an entertaining time at the movies and not feel as if money or a trip in the car was wasted. The body horror elements are just the amount of nasty to satisfy fans of the subgenre, Tom Rhys Harries is compelling to watch, and the highs balance out the flaws that are mainly forgivable. It’s a decent film where audiences will get to have at least a decent time.
Image: DC Studios
