Review by Nik Mohan

DC's latest attempt to shake up the superhero formula takes a decidedly messier approach. Directed by James Watkins, ‘Clayface’ avoids capes and world-ending threats for disfigurement, obsession and some seriously uncomfortable body horror. It's an intriguing change of direction for the studio, even if the finished film never quite lives up to its unsettling potential.

Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood actor whose promising career comes crashing down after a violent encounter with a Gotham City gangster leaves him horrifically disfigured. Desperate to reclaim his appearance and livelihood, he turns to an experimental treatment developed by scientist Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie). What initially appears to be a miracle soon spirals into something far more disturbing, transforming Hagen into a shape-shifting nightmare driven by anger and revenge.

Watkins, whose previous work includes ‘Eden Lake’ and ‘Speak No Evil’, clearly knows how to make an audience uncomfortable. The film's strongest moments embrace its grotesque premise, delivering genuinely stomach-turning sequences that feel closer to David Cronenberg than traditional comic book spectacle. Harries also makes a convincing lead, balancing Hagen's desperation with the increasingly volatile personality emerging beneath his changing exterior. Ackie provides a welcome emotional counterweight, although her character deserves more attention than the screenplay ultimately affords her.

Unfortunately, beneath all the melting flesh and visual nastiness lies a surprisingly conventional revenge story. The screenplay, credited to Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, introduces compelling ideas about identity, celebrity culture and society's obsession with physical perfection, but rarely pushes them beyond the surface. As Hagen becomes increasingly monstrous, the film sacrifices much of its psychological intrigue in favour of predictable confrontations and familiar genre beats.

There's also something strangely underwhelming about Gotham itself. For a city capable of feeling like a character in its own right, the setting lacks the atmosphere and personality needed to make Hagen's downfall particularly haunting. The occasional unconvincing visual effect doesn't help matters, especially when the film demands complete immersion in its increasingly bizarre transformations.

There's something refreshing about watching DC take a chance on a relatively obscure villain without forcing an entire cinematic universe into the conversation. ‘Clayface’ works best when it forgets its comic book origins and commits to being a nasty, occasionally inventive horror film. It has the performances, the premise and enough memorable imagery to justify its existence, even if it struggles to turn those ingredients into something truly exceptional.

‘Clayface’ is an entertainingly grotesque experiment that proves DC has room for stranger stories. It just needed a little more substance beneath all that skin.

Our score: ★★★☆☆