‘Clayface’ Lands on Letterboxd With a Strong Debut Score
DC Studios’ first horror movie is almost here, and the Letterboxd conversation around ‘Clayface’ is already heating up. Hitting theaters on October 23, the film is the studio’s first R-rated release and its first foray into the genre, with James Watkins directing.
The story follows Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, a rising Hollywood actor whose face is disfigured by a local mob boss. Desperate, he turns to a scientist played by Naomi Ackie, who transforms his body into clay and sends him spiraling toward madness. Mike Flanagan wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay with Hossein Amini, while Matt Reeves, James Gunn and Peter Safran produce.
Now the film has made its Letterboxd debut with a 3.7 average out of 5 stars, according to a post from Home of DCU. Fans in the replies seemed pleased with the number, and one pointed out that ‘Superman’ debuted at 4.0 and ‘Supergirl’ at 3.1.
The score follows a wave of early buzz. ‘Clayface’ held its Los Angeles premiere on October 13, and the first Letterboxd review to appear gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Earlier test screening reactions compared the film to ‘Joker’, ‘The Substance’ and ‘Vanilla Sky’, and described it as very gory, with no cameos or post-credits scenes.
#Clayface debuts to 3.7 on Letterboxd! https://t.co/jMNrODbd3r
— Home of DCU (@homeofdcu) October 20, 2026
Once the social media embargo lifted, the reactions skewed positive. Collider’s Steven Weintraub called it an addition to the DCU that doesn’t require any DC knowledge, and he said it was hard R and full of brutal scenes. SlashFilm’s Bill Bria described it as a movie that works on its own first, with shared universe concerns coming second, and likened it to ‘Darkman’ and ‘The Fly’.
There’s a caveat, though. Much of that first wave came from fan-oriented outlets, and trade critics hadn’t weighed in yet. A debut Letterboxd score also tends to reflect the most eager viewers, so it may shift as general audiences see the film.
The final trailer for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/ecTMB97Sto
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 24, 2026
Letterboxd users aren’t unanimous, which makes the 3.7 more interesting. One viewer gave the film 4.5 stars, said it exceeded every expectation and praised the cast. Another gave it 4 stars and called the choice to make ‘Clayface’ a body horror movie a stroke of genius.
Others were cooler. One reviewer gave 2.5 stars, saying the film looks stunning but feels like a paint-by-numbers revenge thriller. They argued the first act should have been longer and the third act reworked. Another critic landed on 3 stars, calling it a perfectly serviceable film that’s haunted by better versions of itself.
The stakes are higher than one movie. SlashFilm noted that ‘Supergirl’ was a box office disappointment, which makes ‘Clayface’ feel like a test of the studio’s direction. The outlet also called it perhaps the most exciting DC Studios project yet, since it fits Gunn and Safran’s goal of building a franchise with vastly different tones.
New posters for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/2DA3HTeKUQ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 7, 2026
That strategy is exactly what a body horror take on a Batman villain represents. If the 3.7 holds and the film finds an audience, it could prove that the DCU doesn’t need capes and flying to connect with viewers. If it falters, the studio will have to rethink how far it can push its genre experiments. For now, the early numbers suggest cautious optimism. Fans have a little under a week to see whether the hype holds up once the film opens wide on October 23.
What are you most excited about in DC Studios’ ‘Clayface’?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
