First Clayface Reactions Reveal What Critics Think Of Dc's Horror Movie

Warner Bros.

The DC Universe is in trouble. Not necessarily because of anything wrong with its movies or TV shows (though the box office disappointment of "Supergirl" certainly didn't help), but because its parent company Warner Bros. is now under a Paramount-sized mountain of debt following the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger. That means every DCU release is under a whole lot more scrutiny than they already were.

So, while we wait for "Man of Tomorrow" to bring Superman and his friends back, we have "Clayface." It's perhaps the most exciting project from DC Studios to date, seeing as it fulfills the promise of what DCU architects James Gunn and Peter Safran are building: a franchise embodying all sorts of stories with vastly different tones. Yes, this is similar to the mindset that gave us the absurdly successful box office sensation that was "Joker," but that's probably only making executives salivate with anticipation for "Clayface."

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons to be excited for this film beyond it possibly alleviating some of the pressure on DC Studios' future ventures, including the fact that Mike Flanagan co-wrote its script. What's more, the first reactions to "Clayface" are in, and they're pretty positive thus far.

IGN editor Jim Vejvoda took to X/Twitter to describe "Clayface" as a throwback to "not only the hardboiled revenge thrillers and low-budget horror flicks of the '50s and '60s but also to the cult classics of the '80s and '90s that paid homage to them." Elsewhere, /Film's own Bill Bria dubbed the film the DCU's proof of concept, i.e. "a movie that works on its own first, all shared universe considerations secondary." He also called it a "well-written, beautifully acted body horror/mad science/antihero monster movie" that recalls Sam Raimi's "Darkman" and David Cronenberg's "The Fly."

Warner Bros.

Overall, critics seem to agree that "Clayface" is a fun time at the movies. Indeed, Rolling Stone freelance critic Ryan Gaur took to X/Twitter to describe the film as "a tribute to the silly, gory horror B movie where barely anyone talks like a real person." Likewise, Geeks of Color host Chalice Williams wrote that the movie "perfectly mesh[es] horror and romance."

In case you're wondering how the film works as a comic book adaptation, it appears you need not worry. The AU Review writer Peter Gray felt that "Clayface" still has that distinct comic book movie flair while also being "dark [and] violent, with little levity to offset the nastiness." Echoing that, critic Edward Douglas praised the film for working as a Batman-adjacent horror flick that "doesn't require knowing anything beforehand," adding that he, too, was reminded of movies like "Darkman" and "The Fly" while watching it.

Meanwhile, YouTube interviewer and former ComicBook.com host Brandon Davis praised "Clayface" for portraying an "unsettling" Gotham City, all while giving audiences some "gruesome, dark moments, and twisted ideas." Similarly, Collider's editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub summed up the film as a "hard R" horror movie that's loaded with brutal scenes and genuinely shocking twists and turns.

Basically, while it remains to be seen how general audiences respond to the film, these early critic reactions suggest "Clayface" may yet give DC Studios a box office hit (one it desperately needs on the heels of "Supergirl").  We'll see how things shake out when the movie makes its way into theaters on October 23, 2026.