The First Rotten ‘Clayface’ Review Disappears From Rotten Tomatoes Amid Critic Controversy
DC Studios’ body horror experiment has experienced one of the most unusual build-ups of any recent comic book film. ‘Clayface’ marks the studio’s first full-fledged horror movie, presenting an R-rated interpretation of the Batman villain with Tom Rhys Harries portraying the actor-turned-monster Matt Hagen. The discussions surrounding the ‘Clayface’ reviews began long before any official publications, culminating in an unexpected twist.
Warner Bros. lifted the social media embargo on October 13, approximately 10 days before the October 23 release, making it one of the earliest in DCU history. Initial reactions were predominantly positive, commending the film for its brutality and gore, with comparisons drawn to ‘The Fly’ and ‘Darkman.’ Meanwhile, the official review embargo was scheduled for October 21, just one day prior to Thursday previews.
However, a single review disrupted this carefully orchestrated calm. ComicBookMovie’s Josh Wilding published the first ‘Clayface’ review on Monday night, rating it a rotten 2.5 out of 5 and likening the film to a ‘Morbius’ moment for DC. By Tuesday, that review had vanished from Rotten Tomatoes, leaving the film without a score once more.
Rotten Tomatoes has pulled the first Clayface review.
The review went up Monday night from ComicBookMovie’s Josh Wilding.
He gave the movie a rotten 2.5 out of 5 and called it:
“DC’s Morbius moment.”
By Tuesday, the review was gone.
Clayface is back to having no Rotten Tomatoes score.
Now Wilding is catching heat for supposedly breaking the review embargo.
His response?
There was no embargo for him to break.
Wilding says he paid for a ticket to a public Odeon mystery screening in the UK and had no agreement with Warner Bros. to hold his review.
“I paid to watch a film at a public screening and shared my review.”
Several critics are backing him up.
Their argument is simple:
An embargo applies when a critic agrees to one for a studio screening.
If you buy your own ticket to a public screening, there is no embargo agreement.
Others say Wilding has been around long enough to know when the official embargo lifts and should have waited anyway.
Wilding says he spoke with Rotten Tomatoes and that it’s “all good, no drama.”
The full review is still live on ComicBookMovie.
And he says it will go back up on Rotten Tomatoes once the official embargo lifts Wednesday.
So for now, the first rotten Clayface review has vanished.
But only temporarily.
More: https://t.co/12Cla1vYlR— Cosmic Book News (@cosmicbooknews) October 20, 2026
Wilding quickly found himself under scrutiny for allegedly violating the review embargo. His defense is that there was nothing to breach, as he purchased a ticket for a public Odeon mystery screening in the UK and had no prior agreement with Warner Bros. regarding his review.
Several critics have supported him, arguing that an embargo only applies when a critic agrees to one for a studio screening, meaning that purchasing a ticket to a public showing carries no such obligation.
Others hold a different view, suggesting that Wilding should have been aware of the official embargo timeline given his experience in the industry and should have refrained from posting his review prematurely.
Wilding has stated that he communicated with Rotten Tomatoes and confirmed that everything is fine, with no drama involved. His complete review remains available on ComicBookMovie, and he asserts it will be reinstated on Rotten Tomatoes once the official embargo is lifted on Wednesday. This indicates that the removal is likely temporary.
Skepticism surrounding the early buzz did not originate solely from Wilding’s review. ComicBookMovie’s coverage highlighted that the initial wave of reactions primarily came from fan-oriented websites rather than established Hollywood trades. It also described an early screening attended by the cast and director as a fan and influencer event, which typically generates overly positive feedback.
This caution is not without justification. ‘Supergirl’ received a rotten 57% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and earned $126.4 million worldwide against a reported budget of $170 million to $186 million, categorizing it as a box-office failure. Its first impressions were overwhelmingly positive before the full reviews revealed much lower scores.
Conversely, ‘Clayface’ represents a different gamble. With a reported budget of $40 million, it doesn’t need to be a blockbuster to achieve profitability. Opening projections have varied between $23 million to $33 million domestically, although one analysis of presales at a single chain suggested an opening closer to $20 million, with horror audiences known for purchasing tickets at the last minute.
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
Directed by James Watkins, ‘Clayface’ features a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with a story by Flanagan. The cast includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan, with production led by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn, and Peter Safran. The film has received an R rating in the US and an 18 certificate in the UK for strong bloody violence and injury detail.
The narrative follows Hagen, a Gotham street kid who becomes a Hollywood leading man, only to have his face ruined by an act of revenge from a crime boss. In a desperate attempt to restore his appearance, he seeks help from scientist Dr. Caitlyn Corr, whose experimental treatment gradually transforms his body into clay.
For now, the first rotten ‘Clayface’ review has disappeared, but this is likely only a temporary situation. Once the official embargo is lifted, the Rotten Tomatoes score will begin to take shape, revealing whether Wilding’s 2.5 out of 5 rating is an anomaly or an early warning sign for DC’s horror venture.
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