Clayface Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed & It Could Settle the Debate

Skip to content Add Us On Google Clayface will be the final project released by the DC Universe in 2026, and it certainly is one of the boldest the franchise has released. A Batman villain origin film (that doesn’t feature Batman), Clayface is being compared to some classic body-horror films like David Cronenberg’s The Fly. However, there has been controversy with what’s being said about Clayface. There were glowing reactions posted after the film’s premiere, but then some critic reviews outside the first wave of insiders and influencers had a very mixed take on the film.

So now that the floodgates are fully opening, what are critics saying about Clayface? The movie currently holds a 73% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with over 70 reviews posted (and counting). That’s a very respectable place to be, but what are reviews actually saying? Will Clayface be another hit or flop for DC Studios, in a year when the franchise has seen a bit of both?

Starting right here with our ComicBook official review of Clayface. Critic Spencer Perry praises the production and lead performance of actor Tom Rhys Harries, but criticizes the execution of the story, and the film’s odd detachement from the larger DCU continuity – especially since we’ve already seen the monstrous character in the Creature Commandos TV series. “This hindrance to Clayface and its place in the larger DCU proves to be its biggest stumbling block. It would be easy to overlook some narrative flaws if the film dropped hints about how it fits into the tapestry of everything else around it, but containment means it feels more disposable… Clayface could have been worse, but what’s frustrating is the knowledge that the movie could have been better, too.”

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com was far less forgiving, stating that Clayface couldn’t even pull off a classic film homage like Joker did. “As much as Joker drew on Scorsese films like The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, DC’s Clayface mirrors David Cronenberg’s body-horror classic The Fly, right down to a love affair doomed by melting body parts. It turns out “Cronenbergian” is harder to pull off than it looks because the mushy problem at the core of James Watkins’ origin story for one of Gotham’s most memorable villains is a complete lack of consistency regarding its themes or even how viewers are supposed to feel about its protagonist.”

The lack of tonal consistency is something that even critics who liked the film have pointed out, raising the question of whether or not director James Watkins (The Woman In Black, Speak No Evil) was the right choice.

The horror genre diehards of Dread Central were critical of the tone as well: namely that there wasn’t enough horror in it. “If only the film were as scary as the effects imply,” writes Matt Konopka. “Sure, there’s a decent amount of body horror that might be the squirmiest thing your average comic book movie fan has ever seen. And there’s a solid dose of bloodshed (though most kills are off-screen). But the atmospherics and actual scares do little to support all that for anyone wanting a true horror movie… All of this to say that, outside of a few unsettling moments of body horror, Clayface struggles mightily to develop a frightening atmosphere. More often than not, it just comes off as silly.”

However, Clayface does seem to be hitting with those who are not horror or DC diehards, such as Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post: “Clayface” won’t be taking in $1 billion or getting a Best Picture nod. The Joker is one of the best foes of all time; Clayface was ranked No. 73 on IGN’s list of comic book villains. I thought he was a skincare mask. But this delightfully disgusting flick also walks its own sick path… It’s gross. In a fun way!”

Typically, in a case like this, the divide in opinion may leave enough room for many fans to give Clayface the benefit of any doubt. Again, hearing some mainstream critics embrace the film is a promising sign for DC Studios and Skydance-Warner Bros. Clayface was made on a budget of around $40 million, which is a fairly safe bar for the movie to clear, given the current hype behind it.

Clayface will be released in theaters this weekend – Let us know what you think about it!