--- title: "Clayface, directed by James Watkins, turns Batman's Gotham into body horror with a line-dancing climax" description: "The film stars Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie. It is in theaters now, and one writer says it mirrors their own medical condition." url: https://tv-movies.skoop.news/connecting-with-clayface--11-01/ published: 2026-11-02T04:28:34.657474-05:00 modified: 2026-11-02T04:28:34.657474-05:00 section: "TV & Movies" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Matt", "Gen Z", "James Watkins", "Tom Rhys Harries", "His Clayface", "Markos Szabo", "Mary Shelley", "Batman", "Creature", "Frankenstein"] hashtags: ["#GenZ", "#JamesWatkins", "#TomRhysHarries", "#Movie", "#movieclips"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Admiral_James_D._Watkins%2C_chief_of_naval_operations%2C_talks_with_guests_at_a_luncheon_following_the_ground-breaking_ceremony_for_the_United_States_Memorial_-_DPLA_-_37d4758c4fd5c0247b3b99ba73b7778a.jpeg/1280px-thumbnail.jpeg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Clayface, directed by James Watkins, turns Batman's Gotham into body horror with a line-dancing climax > The film stars Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie. It is in theaters now, and one writer says it mirrors their own medical condition. Published 2026-11-02 · TV & Movies, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - In the film's climax, Matt starts line dancing at a club [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). - The film is described as a body horror film, a gothic romance with a sci-fi touch, and a comic book movie drawn from the world of Batman [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). - Matt Hagen was disfigured by gangster Markos Szabo [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). ## A climax with line dancing In the film's climax, Matt starts line dancing at a club [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). If you are heading to the theater this weekend, that is one of the turns waiting for you. Clayface is directed by James Watkins, stars Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie, and is now in theaters [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). ## What kind of movie it is The film is described as a body horror film, a gothic romance with a sci-fi touch, and a comic book movie drawn from the world of Batman [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). That is a lot of genres for one movie. Michael Uslan said that horror is a hot topic right now [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). He also said Gen Z audiences are returning to movie theaters for horror that is not typical [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). ## Matt Hagen's story Matt Hagen was disfigured by gangster Markos Szabo [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). In the film, Matt uses that disfigurement to get revenge [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). His Clayface powers start acting up whenever he gets stressed [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). By the end of the film, Matt terrorizes the men who disfigured him [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). ## One writer's reading The author says they have an autoimmune disorder that causes rashes on their body and mostly their face when stressed [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). They say flare-ups have made them reluctant to go outside without a mask covering their skin [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). The author says the film mirrors their own medical condition [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). The author says Batman's Gotham is a safe place to reflect on topics or experiences people ordinarily keep locked away [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). They say the range of tones and emotions in the film felt like life [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). The author also says Clayface deserved a tragic deep dive into his psyche, like the Creature in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). In their view, director James Watkins delivered on this [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). ## The weekend around it The weekend was the third lowest grossing weekend of the year [[2]](https://deadline.com/2026/11/box-office-you-can-see-everything-clayface-halloween-1237209579/). Netflix opened Peter Berg's WWII movie The Mosquito Bowl in 349 locations to $455K [[2]](https://deadline.com/2026/11/box-office-you-can-see-everything-clayface-halloween-1237209579/). ## What it means for you Clayface is now in theaters [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). If you want a comic book movie that is also body horror, this one is described that way [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). If you like horror that is not typical, Uslan says Gen Z audiences are going back to theaters for it [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). Expect a film where Matt's powers act up under stress and where he gets revenge on the men who disfigured him [[1]](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface). ## Sources 1. [Connecting with “Clayface”](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-10-30/connecting-with-clayface) — dc.com 2. [‘Clayface’ In Staring Contest With Elizabeth Holmes & Nathan Fielder For No. 1 Over Sluggish Halloween Weekend – Sunday AM Update](https://deadline.com/2026/11/box-office-you-can-see-everything-clayface-halloween-1237209579/) — deadline.com Image: Photo: Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Admiral_James_D._Watkins,_chief_of_naval_operations,_talks_with_guests_at_a_luncheon_following_the_ground-breaking_ceremony_for_the_United_States_Memorial_-_DPLA_-_37d4758c4fd5c0247b3b99ba73b7778a.jpeg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/