‘Clayface’ Ties ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Batman Begins’ for DC’s Highest Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes

Gotham has produced some of the most beloved movies in comic book history. Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy set a standard that DC has spent nearly two decades chasing, and very few films have gotten close to it with the people who matter most: paying audiences. That makes the latest numbers for DC’s newest release hard to ignore.

The film in question is a gruesome, R-rated body horror about a disfigured actor, directed by James Watkins and starring Tom Rhys Harries. It arrived with soft presales, a slow start overseas and plenty of skepticism about whether a villain spinoff could work. Within hours of opening, moviegoers started pushing back.

The ‘Clayface‘ audience score now sits at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter, which ties it with ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Batman Begins’ as the highest audience-rated DC movie on the aggregator. The score is based on more than 500 ratings, after debuting at 95% from more than 250 verified ratings. Even the $1 billion-grossing ‘Joker’ only reached 89%.

The result lifts ‘Clayface’ above everything in James Gunn’s DC Universe so far. ‘Superman’ holds a 90% audience score, while ‘Supergirl’ sits at 72%. That makes ‘Clayface’ the best-liked film in the franchise among filmgoers, even though it’s the smallest swing in the lineup.

The critics’ side is more modest. ‘Clayface’ is Certified Fresh with 75%, which one outlet described as the highest-rated solo villain movie ever, ahead of ‘Joker’ at 68%. By comparison, ‘The Dark Knight’ has a 94% critics’ score and ‘Batman Begins’ has 85%.

Not all 94% scores are created equal. ‘The Dark Knight’ has held its score across more than 250,000 ratings, and one report put its total at over 500,000 reviews, while ‘Clayface’ has just a few hundred so far. Early audience scores tend to be driven by enthusiastic opening-night crowds, and they often drift as more people weigh in.

‘The Batman’ offers a useful reminder. It reached a 96% audience score at launch, briefly topping the Nolan films, but Rotten Tomatoes’ own guide now lists it at 85%. The Rotten Tomatoes page for ‘Clayface’ has already shown small shifts, moving between 93% and 94% in a matter of hours.

Audience reviews on the site lean into the film’s unapologetic gore and strange tone. One viewer called it a comic book movie that doesn’t even feel like one, describing it as the horrific offspring of ‘The Substance’ and ‘The Fly.’ Others have simply called it a great movie.

That reaction matches the pitch from critics who said the film is unconcerned with pleasing the broadest possible crowd. It was always going to be a polarizing choice, which makes a near-perfect score from ticket buyers more surprising.

The film needed this kind of response. Tracking before release showed only 32% awareness, though among people who knew it existed, 21% planned to see it opening weekend. That’s the profile of a small but committed audience, and strong word of mouth could help it reach everyone else.

The box office picture is still taking shape. Thursday previews reportedly earned $3.5 million, with Boxoffice Pro forecasting an opening weekend of $25 million to $30 million. A24’s documentary ‘You Can See Everything’ may challenge it for the top spot, according to one report.

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

The film’s price tag works in its favor. Reported budgets range from about $30 million to $44 million, which means it doesn’t need a blockbuster haul to turn a profit. A common rule of thumb puts break-even at roughly $80 million to $100 million worldwide.

It’s also the last DC movie until ‘Man of Tomorrow’ arrives next July, so a strong showing would give the studio some momentum heading into 2027. Horror has been a reliable performer this year, with films like ‘Obsession,’ ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Resident Evil’ all counted as hits.

DC has spent years trying to find a formula that works beyond its biggest heroes. Success here suggests audiences may be willing to follow the franchise into stranger, smaller and darker territory, as long as the filmmaking is confident. It’s also a rare piece of good news after a difficult summer.

Whether the score holds will become clearer in the coming days, along with the first CinemaScore and weekend totals. For now, a body horror film about a man turning into clay is sitting alongside two of the most acclaimed Batman movies ever made.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!