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An actor whose career depends on his appearance is an especially unfortunate person to find himself at the center of a body horror movie. That is the predicament facing Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen in Clayface, which gives one of Batman's most recognizable villains a starring role just in time for Halloween. With James Watkins directing and Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini behind the screenplay, the movie brings together a creative team with plenty of experience in making audiences uncomfortable.

The project also gives James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe room to explore what a comic book adaptation can look like when horror drives the story. Gotham provides the setting for a character whose physical transformation lends itself to some particularly unpleasant possibilities, even before revenge enters the equation. With its October 23 theatrical release approaching, Clayface now faces the critics who will help shape the conversation around DC's latest gamble, after early screenings earned praise last week.

Clayface has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 77% critics' score from 44 reviews, at the time of writing this article. That gives the movie an initial Fresh rating as the first wave of reviews arrives ahead of its opening weekend. The percentage will likely shift as additional reviews are added, making this an early snapshot of its reception.

What Is DC's 'Clayface' About?

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Critics seem most taken with what happens when DC lets its monster movie be a monster movie. HeyUGuys' Linda Marric calls Clayface "a gamble that pays off," while The AU Review's Peter Gray describes it as "a gruesome, uncompromising and unexpectedly affecting descent into villainy." The story has proved more divisive, with IndieWire's Kate Erbland criticizing its plotting and character motivations, writing that it "can never conform to one shape, one final form, or one good idea."

Harries stars as Matt Hagen, whose journey from Gotham to Hollywood appears to have given him everything he wanted until a local crime boss leaves him disfigured. With his career shattered and the people around him abandoning him, Matt pursues an experimental treatment that restores his appearance. The apparent breakthrough comes with consequences, however, as his relationship with his own body and his grip on reality begin to unravel. His attempt to reclaim his life sends him toward revenge, with a transformation that makes an already dangerous situation considerably worse.

Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, David Dencik, and Eddie Marsan also star, alongside Nancy Carroll and Joshua James. Watkins directs from Flanagan and Amini's screenplay, with Flanagan also receiving story credit. Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, Gunn, and Safran produce the movie, bringing the director of The Batman into another project involving Gotham's rogues gallery. This time, the villain gets the spotlight and a story built around the horror of losing control over his own identity.

The October release puts Clayface in theaters a little more than a week before Halloween, giving horror fans another option during the busiest stretch of spooky season. Its opening also means the critical response will soon be joined by reactions from general audiences, offering a clearer picture of how viewers respond to DC's latest theatrical release. For now, the first Rotten Tomatoes score provides an early indication of where critics stand before Matt Hagen makes his public debut.

Clayface opens in theaters on October 23.