Clayface First Reactions Officially Praise DC's Surprising New Horror Film
DC's horror gamble has paid off, early screenings say
Since it was first announced, DC's Clayface has been a bit of a tough sell. The horror film focused on one of Batman's villains, sans the actual Caped Crusader, brings to mind Sony's deluge of villain-focused Spider-Man movies that are campy at best and absolutely unwatchable at worst. While Clayface won't be released in theaters until Oct. 23, influencers and journalists have started sharing initial reactions that finally make it clear whether it delivers or not.
Perhaps surprisingly, Clayface seems to be an absolute home run. Reactions aren't just good, they are glowing. It seems like the film, directed by James Watkins from a script by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, is an incredible entry to James Gunn's DC Universe and a killer horror movie in its own right. YouTuber Brandon Davis described the film as "freakishly awesome," giving special praise to lead actor Tom Rhys Harries. The AU Review's Peter Gray similarly lauded Harries, saying he "brings equal boyish charm and quiet menace to the role."
Worries that the absence of Batman would diminish the film seem to have been put aside. Critic Edward Douglas wrote that the movie "does a good job of separating itself as a horror movie that doesn't require knowing anything beforehand." There are sure to be some fans that see that as a con, as the interconnectivity of the DC Universe is one of the things people love to see, but it appears that this was the right move for Clayface.
There appear to be some truly grotesque moments in the film that are standouts, with Chris Killian writing the movie will "make you squirm, but what I loved most is it's also a heartfelt throwback to a bygone era of classic gothic romance films." If you are wondering where the negative reactions are, there really aren't any out there right now. Across the board, reactions are incredibly positive.
Will we ever see Batman in James Gunn's DC Universe?
Even with Clayface getting rave reviews, it is hard not to wonder where Batman is in all of this. The absence of the Caped Crusader in Gunn's DCU has been a hot topic of conversation since the director took over DC Studios. While Robert Pattinson is set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves' The Batman Part 2, this is not considered canon to the DCU. Not to mention that production is currently halted.
We do know Gunn plans to bring his version of Batman to the big screen with The Brave and the Bold, which is currently in early development. Still, that means it will likely be years before we get our next Batman. It is always possible that the character will be introduced in another project first, though what that would be is yet to be seen. Hopefully, when Batman does join the DCU we will get to see him go toe-to-toe with Clayface.
Clayface opens in movie theaters on Oct. 23.