12 critics on Clayface: 7 positive, 5 mixed. Every verdict quoted, with ratings and links to the full reviews.
12 critics have reviewed Clayface so far. By our reading of each review, 7 positive, 5 mixed. Below, every critic's verdict in their own words, with the rating where they gave one and a link to the full review.
Critics at a glance
Cinema Express
"Clayface is definitely not for those easily disturbed by gory visuals. There are plenty of scenes with intentional self-harm and grotesque body horror"
Also: "Tom Rhys Harries projects equal amounts of empathy, self-pity, and evil into his performance as Matt Hagen/Clayface"
Read Cinema Express's full review
The Free Press Journal: 2 stars
"Overall, there is plenty here to make your skin crawl, but precious little to get under it"
Also: "The film’s strongest asset is its makeup. Grotesque facial distortions, liquefying skin and unnatural bodily contortions deliver visceral discomfort"
Read The Free Press Journal's full review
Mathrubhumi English: 4/5
"Clayface’ is a solid, nasty horror film with two excellent performances"
Also: "Tom Rhys Harries carries all of this. He plays Matt with a soft, almost boyish hurt, so even his worst moments leave you uneasy about whose side you are on"
Read Mathrubhumi English's full review
The Hindu
"Going full body horror is fun, if predictable — we instinctively know who Matt will impersonate next and that bowl of nuts was signaling louder than a lighthouse what was going to happen next"
Also: "Some gorgeous visuals offset the stomach-churning ones. Images of Matt in the bathtub and the lovers entwined like the couple in Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss are veritable works of art"
Read The Hindu's full review
JoBlo.com
"While not a masterpiece, Clayface is actually the best movie Gunn’s DCU has put out to date"
Also: "It’s a refreshingly tough flick for DC and the kind of movie they should make more of, even if it’s imperfect"
Read JoBlo.com's full review
Screen Rant
"Too often in Clayface, Matt flirts with disaster, echoing the film's own trajectory. But it wouldn't achieve what it does if it didn't get so close to the line before slithering its way over it"
Also: "Clayface reaches for more depth in some of its storytelling, flirting with ideas of performance and embodiment, as well as Hollywood satire, but these aren't the movie's strong suits"
Read Screen Rant's full review
Collider
"Though Clayface is a Batman antagonist, the Caped Crusader doesn't pop up in this film. Instead, Flanagan and co-writer Hossein Amini's script serves as a stand-alone story"
Also: "Not since the 2000s reign of the Hostel and Saw franchises have we seen a major studio movie unafraid to get this icky"
Read Collider's full review
/Film: 5.5 out of 10
"But hey, there are things to admire here. I particularly liked that the film doesn't try to make its main character a hero, or even an anti-hero"
Read /Film's full review
IGN
"Clayface is at its best when it embraces its B-movie absurdity. It’s a fun body horror romp that realizes its nasty potential in its final act after a slow-burn set-up"
Read IGN's full review
Deadline
"Whether you’re a comic book nerd or a horror junkie, Clayface is worth the price of admission for its genre-driven approach to a lesser-known character"
Read Deadline's full review
The Hollywood Reporter
"Maybe we’ve been going about this comic book movie thing all wrong. Sure, it’s fun to watch films about the heroes, whether it’s Superman, Batman or Spider-Man. But sometimes it’s a lot more rewarding to explore the dark side"
Read The Hollywood Reporter's full review
Variety
"Just a little sharper and smarter in every department than it needs to be, James Watkins' film may be the third in the supposed DC Universe, but it plays as an enjoyable, unpretentious one-off"
Read Variety's full review
More on the film
Updated 28 October 2026. CutMirchi does not review films itself: this page gathers published critics' reviews, quoted word for word and linked, and is updated as more arrive. "Verdict" is our one-word reading of each review; ratings are as each outlet printed them.
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