Frightful Friday: Clayface vs. Wildwood – Which Movie Should You See First?
In terms of movies, this week has been great for both horror fans and those who enjoy the Halloween season. Just today, two highly anticipated October releases, Clayface and Wildwood, were officially released in theaters. The question for many is: which one should you watch first?
As I mentioned in Wednesday’s article, the DCU and its fans were hoping for a box office hit after the disappointing performance of Supergirl. Thankfully, the film seems to have met these expectations. Clayface currently stands at a 75% critic score with a 93% rating from audiences. Impressively, its audience score is the highest-rated of any current DCU project!
Admittedly, some reviewers have pointed out the film’s lack of references to Batman, as well as a somewhat messy first act. Still, most praise Tom Rhys Harries’ portrayal of the titular villain, alongside some genuinely disturbing body horror. The film’s nightclub sequence has also generated significant praise, with many viewers praising it as a standout moment.
Similarly, Wildwood has seen its own fair share of praise. In fact, the movie currently maintains a perfect 100% rating from 102 reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, making it (currently) the highest-rated animated movie of the decade. Many have been calling it Laika Studio’s masterpiece both for its standard of storytelling and (more importantly) its expertly crafted stop-motion animation.
Interestingly, the movie’s two-hour-and-twelve-minute runtime actually makes it the world’s longest stop-motion film. As you may already know, however, this style of animation is not only costly, but time-consuming. It took Laika 16 YEARS for the project to be finished (with 6 of those years being fully dedicated to shooting and animating the film). Thankfully, the studio’s efforts appear to have paid off (with one standout scene even going viral).
To answer the question from earlier, there really isn’t a “wrong” choice of which film you should see first. Both movies have their strengths, making the decision mostly dependent on personal taste. If you prefer more mature and disturbing horror mixed with a darker, more grounded comic-book story, Clayface is a great fit. On the other hand, Wildwood provides a visually ambitious fantasy experience that showcases the strengths of stop-motion animation. Either way, both films offer something different for moviegoers approaching the Halloween season.
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