Clayface brings body horror to the DC Universe

Clayface brings DC’s shapeshifting Batman villain into a live-action DC Universe film as actor Matt Hagen, whose face is disfigured, undergoes an experimental treatment that alters his body and mind and turns him toward revenge. The film is in theaters, but the reporting supplied no audience ratings or box-office results. Tom Rhys Harries plays Hagen, an actor whose career collapses after a crime boss disfigures him. He seeks help from scientist Dr. Caitlin Corr, played by Naomi Ackie, whose experimental treatment is intended to restore his appearance. The procedure initially appears to work, but its effects on Hagen’s body and mind lead to his transformation into Clayface. Directed by James Watkins, the film places body horror at the center of a story set in Gotham, without Batman appearing. Its horror comes from Hagen’s loss of control over his face and body, while the plot follows his turn toward revenge. The story also examines the consequences of a treatment that promises to repair his appearance but changes him instead. The film is part of the DC Universe overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran, rather than the separate setting of Matt Reeves’ The Batman films. Reeves is...