Screen Test - Clayface

Setting the scene for the Halloween season is the spookiest endeavour yet from DC Studios.

Serving as an origin story for the classic Batman villain, previously unseen in live-action film, it sets a new tone for the brand, best performing with classic do-good titles, such as last year's Superman interpretation.
A psychological thriller set in the Gotham City universe, Clayface takes full advantage of the time of year by pushing itself further away from the superhero status quo and into the body horror genre, as the first of its kind.
The story shows a fictional actor, Matt Hagen, making a generational run within Hollywood before suddenly being disfigured by a mob boss in an unexpected turn of events.
Hagen, facing the potential of ending his acting career just after finding success, undergoes experimental treatment to restore his face better than plastic surgery could ever possibly achieve.
Resident Gazette film buffs, Nick Duck and Aidan Knight, caught the film last week, here are their thoughts...

Aidan Knight: I was very excited to see this one, as an enjoyer of both Batman-adjacent titles and watching spooky-themed films each October.
While I felt slightly jarred by the speed of the character introductions with little development in the opening scenes, Harries falls into the role perfectly as soon as the script enables him, and prevents the audience from picturing anyone else as Hagen.
Attempting to uniquely demonstrate a fall from grace directly after setting up a rags to riches tale sets it apart from its most obvious comparison in 2019's Joker, and pushes it closer instead to that of Sony's Morbius, if it had actually been executed properly.
Two things become very clear early in Clayface: this is a real villain story — not an anti-hero, and DC does not need to rely on cameos to keep its smaller properties interesting (no, Batman does not show up in this).
Gotham City feels realistic and full, complete with its own newspaper (also called the Gazette).
Visual effects are excellent, and while this is most definitely a horror movie and the first half does not hold back on establishing this (very much blood and guts), it does give the impression that some scenes were reshot or removed from the script later on to ensure the film didn't receive too restrictive a rating — which waters down some of the more high-tension scenes in the finale.
The dialogue and introspection leave a bit to be desired; the romance aspect feels somewhat rushed, but this is the most promising 'villain story' since Venom, and will likely age to be one of the best origin story executions in comic book cinema.
Amazing film for the meagre budget it was shot on, and definitely worth watching for those intrigued, even without knowledge or commitment to any superhero storylines - its biggest strength is its ability to stand on its own simply as a horror title.

Nick Duck: In a world of same-same comic book films, it's nice to see something take a few risks like this, and as a certified horror lover I especially got a few kicks out of Clayface.
Veering between seriously disturbing imageryando pure camp and back again, Clayface manages to entertain throughout even without ever becoming something truly spectacular.
Featuring a story and script penned in part by modern horror maestro Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House) I couldn't help but wonder what might have been had Flanagan been able to direct as originally intended.
James Watkins' direction is perfunctory at best, often doing what's required but holding back during key moments that leave you wanting a bit more.
When the body horror is allowed to be the main focus it's worth the price of admission. Echoing the effects (sometimes through direct homages) of gross-out classics like Carpenter's The Thing and Cronenberg's The Fly, there were a few squeamish moments sure to make even the most experienced horror fanatic squirm.
Gotham City itself gets some good chances to shine in its firstlive-action appearance in DC's new cinematic universe (of which 2022's The Batman is not a part of). Showing a healthy mix of macabre and gothic, it's the exact kind of place you could imagine a guy running around dressed like a bat.
Like its direction, plenty of Clayface's writing gets the job done without much fuss. Hagen has some interesting traits as a character, and his descent into full-blown villainy is refreshingly fun, but some more time spent with him before the inciting incident and perhaps a flashback or two to flesh out his often-referred-to-but-never-seen backstory would have helped.
At the end of the day, Clayface delivers what's on the tin - some fun gore, decent horror, and a healthy dose of silliness in between.
Like many of my attempted clay creations in primary school, however, you have to wonder what could have been with a little more time in the oven.
Aidan: ★★★☆☆
Nick: ★★★☆☆
Clayface is rated MA15+ for violence and graphic scenes, and is now showing at Peninsula Cinemas Warragul for a limited time.