Clayface - A WORTHY DCU HORROR? - Angry Movie Review

Recap

The Angry Joe Show panel reviews Clayface, a DCU origin story that turns a relatively obscure Batman villain into the star of a grim revenge thriller. The reviewers are initially surprised that the DCU is leading with Clayface rather than a more familiar character like Mr. Freeze. They also note that the film has no Batman cameo, so viewers shouldn’t expect it to feel like a Batman movie.

The panel’s overall verdict is that Clayface is a solid, well-acted story, but not the must-see horror film its premise suggests. They enjoyed following Matt Hagen’s downfall and transformation into a genuine villain, and appreciated that the movie doesn’t soften him into a misunderstood antihero. However, several reviewers wanted more sustained psychological horror, a deeper descent into madness, and bolder, more inventive transformations.

The film has bloody, unsettling moments—one operating-room sequence particularly creeps Joe out—but much of the body horror feels restrained or less memorable than it could have been. The relationship between Matt and Dr. Caitlin Cole also didn’t fully land for everyone, and some found the mafia boss underwhelming.

Spoilers: Matt Hagen’s Transformation

Matt begins as a successful actor, but his involvement with Mia Torres, who is connected to Gotham crime lord Marcos Zabo, ends in disaster. Zabo’s men slash Matt’s face, and a smear campaign and legal maneuvering wreck his career and finances. Matt turns to scientist Caitlin Cole, whose experimental nanotechnology can regenerate his face. It works—until Matt takes a massive overdose and discovers that his body can heal and reshape itself.

As Matt hunts down the people who ruined his life, the panel highlights several of the film’s most effective sequences: his disturbing experiments with his own body, a grotesque killing in which his thumb becomes a weapon, and a club set piece where he uses his shapeshifting to confuse and terrorize the people around him. The reviewers liked the concept and some of the creative staging, but wished the movie showed more of his abilities and pushed the violence further.

Matt’s revenge eventually costs him his connection with Caitlin. She uses the nanotech kill switch, apparently melting him away into Gotham’s sewers. A later scene suggests he may have survived in disguise, though the ending leaves his fate and his relationship with Caitlin deliberately murky. The reviewers also note that there’s no Batman tease or post-credits scene.

Jokes and Final Verdict

The conversation frequently veers into comic relief, especially the panel’s running campaign for Condiment King to appear in a future DCU Batman movie. They imagine mustard-themed clues on Gotham’s streets and jokingly crown him “the king of seasonings.” There’s also a brief gag about the old landline-style disconnect tone heard during a cell-phone call.

The panel generally rates the film around 6–7 out of 10. They respect it for taking Clayface seriously and telling a smaller-scale villain origin story, but feel it stops short of the more intense, memorable horror experience it could have been.

Recommendation: Worth checking out if you enjoy revenge stories or body horror, but not something most viewers need to rush to see in theaters.

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