Clayface Leaves All The Critics Stunned In First Reactions

The latest entry in James Gunn's DC Universe has arrived, and judging by the early critical responses, it's a good one. "Clayface" is something of a left turn in the comic book movie space, with an R rating and a body horror take on a classic Batman villain. It's the sort of film you could go and see with a fan of horror, regardless of their experience with the rest of the superhero franchise. And, so far, that strategy seems to have been a success. Check out the full video above to see what the critics are saying.

With a director like James Watkins, who has built his career on psychological horror fare like "Speak No Evil" and "The Woman in Black," expectations were relatively high. Bill Bria of SlashFilm found the finished product worthy of that hype, writing on X, "'Clayface' is the proof of concept of DC Studios: a movie that works on its own first, all shared universe considerations secondary." Bria also called the film "a well-written, beautifully acted body horror/mad science/antihero monster movie," with many other agreeing in their first reactions.

Chris Killian of ComicBook.com called the film "incredible" and "a wildly gory spectacle," while The AU Review's Peter Gray called the film "an exciting addition" to the franchise and praised star Tom Rhys Harries for his "equal boyish charm and quiet menace."

"Clayface" has earned comparisons to the work of David Cronenberg, which is both high praise and a useful warning for potential viewers who might be more squeamish around grotesquerie and body horror.

Steven Weintraub of Collider called the film "an awesome addition to the DCU that doesn't require any knowledge of DC to enjoy" in a post on X. Jim Vejvoda of IGN heaped on more praise, describing the film as a "gritty throwback to not only the hardboiled revenge thrillers and low-budget horror flicks of the '50s and '60s but also to the cult classics of the '80s and '90s that paid homage to them."

With spooky season fully upon us, that all seems like a strong lead-up to the wide release of "Clayface" on October 23. You can revisit the "Clayface" trailer to tide you over until then. Check out the complete video above to hear more about what critics are saying.