James Gunn’s Genre-Bending New Superhero Movie Is a Total Disaster

The article argues that *Clayface*, directed by James Watkins and based on a story by Mike Flanagan, is a major disappointment for James Gunn’s DC Universe. It follows actor Matt Hagen, whose career collapses after a mob boss disfigures him; an experimental treatment restores his face but eventually gives him a grotesque, shape-shifting form.

The review says the film rushes through Hagen’s life before his injury, leaving him too shallow to engage the audience in his revenge story. It also finds the supporting characters underdeveloped, though Naomi Ackie’s scientist is singled out for praise. The body horror offers some effectively unsettling moments, but the article says the film lacks real scares and would have worked better as part of a Batman story.