Clayface
The best DC film since the original Aquaman in 2018, CLAYFACE is a gory, adult horror thriller with strong echoes of Sam Raimi's "Darkman" that serve it very well.
I have always approached DC movies the past decade conditioned to walk out shaking my head, but this one really surprised me.
The script by the reliably great Mike Flanagan (MIdnight Mass, Doctor Sleep, the brilliant new "Carrie" reboot on Prime) serves up a fast moving tale with crime drama, body horror, revenge and sci-fi elements all melted together into a slimy, gory, enjoyable ooze that really grows on you. (or should I say, IN you..)
Tom Rhys Harries is perfectly cast as Gotham movie star Matt Hagen. Newly nominated for an Oscar, he's on a meteoric rise. One night, to celebrate, he leaves his jaw dropping penthouse home alongside lifelong best friend Corey (Joshua James) and they head to Gotham's hottest club, Vesuvius.
Hagen falls for the stunning Mia (Joana Ribero) on the dance floor. One thing leads to another and he wakes up in her bed, surrounded by Gotham's most notorious & vicious mob boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik) and his lethal squad of henchmen.
They destroy Hagen's face and any viewers squeamish about surgical cuts and very sharp knives on skin might want to grab some popcorn. It's gloriously graphic.
CLAYFACE earns its R rating and I'm frankly glad. There's no way this story would have worked if it would have been sanitized for a PG-13 rating.
After Hagen's life and stardom implode, he ends up living in squalor and hiding his face, just like Liam Neeson did way back in 1990's "Darkman", still one of my favorite genre films of all time.
With nothing to lose, Hagen seeks out Dr. Caitlin Coor, who's experimental new techniques have proven revolutionary for repairing human flesh, bone and tendon. Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice, Shelter) is terrific as Caitlin in a role that could have become silly or unbelievable in lesser hands. Ackie delivers.
When Hagen's face is restored to magazine cover, matinee idol looks, his life seems to be heading back to a complete recovery.
Or does it?
What follows is a wild ride with more than a few visual allegiances to Cronenberg's "The Fly" and Coralie Fargeat's brilliant film, "The Substance".
Those microscopic bots inside Hagen take on a life of their own and after one hell of a dose, the circumstances of which I'll keep secret, he's suddenly able to instantly morph into anyone he wants to, setting up some really enjoyable scenes of revenge and action. When you can be anyone you want to be, you suddenly have a lot of tricks up your sleeve and Flanagan's screenplay wisely takes advantage of that skill.
I'm not going to reveal anything in the last half of the story, but I enjoyed every minute of it. This is the first DC movie in memory that I didn't find myself staring at my watch repeatedly.
Rob Brydon (Little Britain) is a scene stealer as Talk Show host and gossip Vic Chissler. His smarm is next level. I loved Corey Johnson (Digger, The Day of the Jackal) as Cadillac Sal, he's flawless as a lethal mobster that could have wondered in from Gotham's alt universe Sopranos. He's funny, deadly and one hell of a target for Hagen's brewing alter-ego.
The film's finale, with Matt's return to the Vesuvius Club, is the best sequence of any DC film in memory. It feels more like Brian DePalma's "Scarface" or "The Fury", tossed with the sharp humor of Raimi's "Darkman". It's visually thrilling, beautifully shot and wrapped in another excellent orchestral score by Volker Bertelmann (Conclave, Ballad of a Small Player).
With a budget of just $30 million, this feels bigger, more on target, more edgy and better than the recent Superman, which suddenly feels bloated and aimless by comparison.
CLAYFACE is a twisted, dark little thriller that slithered its way far past my expectations. What a gory, fun surprise. It gets a B+.
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