'Clayface' Early Reactions Are Glowing, but Can DC's Horror Gamble Avoid the 'Supergirl' Trap?

DC Studios has had a rough year at the box office, and every new release now carries extra weight. With its first body horror movie arriving next week, the early reactions to ‘Clayface‘ are being treated as a measure of whether the studio’s luck is changing.

The year started strong for the DCU’s film side after ‘Superman’ set the bar high, but ‘Supergirl’ brought it back down to earth. The film earned a rotten 57% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $126.4 million worldwide against a budget of $170 million to $186 million, which made it a box-office bomb. It was also the first DCU project not written or directed by James Gunn.

That backdrop explains why Warner Bros.’ decision on ‘Clayface’ stood out. The studio lifted the social media embargo on Tuesday, October 13, about 10 days before the film opens, which is among the earliest in the DCU and projects confidence in the finished product. The reactions that followed have been overwhelmingly positive, praising the film written by Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins.

And yeah, extremely confident they have something special, WB lifted social media embargo for #DCStudios’ first body horror CBM #Clayface almost 2 weeks ahead of its debut, and it seems to be a winner! Critics & fans’ reactions overwhelmingly positive, raving about the film written by #MikeFlanagan & directed by #JamesWatkins – way different from what we saw with #Supergirl where you could tell by the reactions alone something was off – calling the DC film a fantastic, gruesomely loaded with brutal scenes as an authentic hard R which holds nothing back, and even so still find time to be funny to offset a bit of the darkness, marking a completely different tone introduced into the DCU. Lots of praise to #TomRhysHarries’ performance and to the romantic aspects of it, said to be An ode to the classic gothic romances of old and a genuine villain-origin story, not the anti hero gimmick. Some are going as far as calling it the biggest surprise of the year and one of the best horrors of 2026. #CLAYFACE debuts at US #BoxOffice on OCT 23, with traditional THU Previews on OCT 22.
— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) October 14, 2026

Viewers describe a gruesome, hard-R movie loaded with brutal scenes that holds nothing back, yet still finds room to be funny enough to offset some of the darkness. Many say that mix marks a completely different tone for the DCU. Tom Rhys Harries has drawn heavy praise, as have the film’s romantic elements, which some reactions describe as an ode to classic gothic romances.

Several reactions also say the movie reads as a genuine villain origin story rather than an anti-hero gimmick. Comparisons to ‘The Fly’ and ‘Darkman’ have been common, and some viewers have gone as far as calling it one of the best horror movies of the year. Many also note that it works on its own, with no DC knowledge required.

Before cheering too loudly, it’s worth remembering how the last DC release played out. Warner Bros. also lifted the social media embargo early for ‘Supergirl’, about a week before release, and the first wave of impressions was strongly positive before the full reviews arrived and landed far lower. Some of the reactions to that film were mixed from the start, with praise for Milly Alcock’s performance alongside complaints about an underdeveloped villain.

The caution applies here too. The first batch of ‘Clayface’ reactions came largely from fan-oriented outlets after premiere and screening events, and major trade critics haven’t weighed in yet. The review embargo doesn’t lift until October 21, a day before Thursday preview screenings on October 22, the same pattern as the previous DC release.

There are some important differences, though. ‘Supergirl’ was a tentpole with a much higher budget and expectations, and its ticket sales fell once middling reviews appeared. ‘Clayface’ cost a reported $40 million, so it doesn’t need to be a blockbuster to turn a profit.

Watch the first trailer for #Clayface. The new DC horror film is in theaters October 23. https://t.co/gqrrtJSou5
— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) April 22, 2026

Boxoffice Pro’s early tracking projected a domestic opening of $23 million to $33 million, and newer tracking suggests it is leaning toward the higher end, at $30 million or more. Earlier surveys showed that only 32% of people were aware of the film, but those who knew about it were planning to see it on opening weekend at nearly double the usual rate. One analysis of presales at a single chain found ‘Clayface’ trailing ‘Resident Evil’, which pointed to a lower opening of around $20 million, though horror crowds are known for buying tickets late.

The timing also helps. 2026 has been a strong year for horror, with hits like ‘Obsession’, ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Resident Evil’, and ‘Clayface’ arrives right before Halloween with previews on October 22 and a full release on October 23. A strong critical response next week could boost walk-up sales that presales can’t capture.