Clayface is not the results of our Editor’s first disastrous attempt at pottery but instead the first standalone live action film of DC’s lesser known villains who starts life as actor Matt Hagan (Tom Rhys Harries) that we first catch up with as he waits on set watching the announcement of Oscar nominations for Best Actor and his name is on that list. Celebrations all round and a big night out with his fellow actor and best friend who soon warns him off the girl whose boyfriend is Markos Szabo (David Dencik) and Matt wakes up in Clara’s bed with Szabo and his goons who proceed to slice up his face in the first of several gore soaked scenes that gives the film its 18 certificate.
Clayface – Why the long face?
Disfigured and his story all over the news he dare not show his face and the circumstances of his face getting carved up sees the agent drop him, his business agent (Eddie Marsan) squander his money on poor investments and his friends turn away. With his face now like Gordon Ramsey’s chopping board his career is over until he picks up on a surgeon Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) pioneering work in rebuilding disfigurements using a nano-technology liquid that is his last hope. Willing to forego any further trials he pushes her to use it on his face and initially it works seeing him back on the red carpet and his former associates happy to renew their acquaintance once more. But it can’t last with his face on the verge of falling off his head the formula is not the godsend that he was hoping for and in fact gets worse. Consumed with fury and envy Clayface is borne
That the film has been written by Mike Flanagan is cause enough to celebrate as he is one of the few modern day writer–directors who understands the horror genre and Clayface certainly falls into that category with the film not sparing the, ‘Eww’ factor – his initial surgery is a case in point and the story has a nod to Cronenberg’s ‘The Fly’ which is no bad thing. Its perhaps the love story between Matt and Caitlyn that doesn’t convince especially as her on-screen partner is a cop investigating the pile up of bodies that Matt is responsible. Director James Watkins has an excellent pedigree in scares and horror with his terrific debut film ‘Eden Lake’ (well worth catching) and his big screen version of The Woman in Black was a well-orchestrated chill fest. There are a number of neatly choreographed set pieces of Clayface on shapeshifting form on the road to revenge.
Does it muddy the waters of its origins?
Whether the hardcore DC fans will take to this first big screen version is arguable with the character’s origin, much like the Joker, having a number of stories and this borrows elements from several and works well. Set in Batman Gotham there’s no sign or hint of the winged freak and equally the gothic depiction of the city that we are familiar with, is here a little lacklustre looking more like Liverpool with suitable set dressing……because that’s exactly what it is.
Quite how this will fit in with the bigger DC universe is unclear but it’s an admirably bold step to ramp things up to an 18 certificate which should be applauded because what we have here is a dark and often brutal big screen version of the villain that should ensure Tom Rhys Harries stardom.
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related feature : James Gunn talks about the Marvel DC crossover film….
Here’s the trailer….
