'Clayface' Officially Passes 'The Substance' to Set All-Time Box-Office Record

It takes a certain type of sicko person to want to turn up to the theater to see grotesque body horror on the big screen. While slashers, found-footage, and haunted-house movies manage to bring all types of audiences out to the cinema, it’s hard for a movie to find mass appeal when a key component of its narrative is depicting unsettling imagery.

In that sense, it’s easy to see how movies like IT, The Sixth Sense, I Am Legend, or World War Z can have worldwide appeal to a variety of audiences. Despite not being known for their box-office hauls, movies in the body-horror genre have still earned impressive achievements.

Landing in theaters last month was Clayface, the R-rated origin story of the beloved Batman villain. Movies in the superhero genre are known for shattering box-office records, given their appeal to a variety of demographics. According to Box Office Mojo, the DC Studios film has secured a worldwide gross of $89 million since its release. This is merely a fraction of what some of its contemporaries earn, but it does cross a milestone for body horror.

Back in 2024, Coralie Fargeat pulled off something once thought impossible: she made an R-rated body horror movie that was as disgusting as it was hilarious, that satirized the beauty and entertainment industries, with her 141-minute epic The Substance. The mere existence of the movie wasn’t what was considered so impressive, but rather she made a horror movie that pulled no punches and refused to compromise its horrendous vision, which managed to score five Oscar nominations.

Thanks to its critical acclaim, The Substance would go on to take in $77.3 million worldwide. Clayface has definitively cleared that hurdle to become the top-grossing body-horror movie of all time.

Admittedly, no one who is making a body-horror movie is necessarily attempting to break records at the box office and they are merely trying to make a compelling film, all while being aware of its niche appeal. Still, knowing that The Substance is such an accomplished piece of cinema and that its financial achievements were surpassed is something worth noting about Clayface.

Whether Clayface would want to trade its 78% positive reviews for The Substance‘s 89% positive on Rotten Tomatoes, and its various accolades and awards wins, for a lower box office is an entirely different discussion.

Clayface is in theaters now.

Are you surprised that the movie passed The Substance’s totals? Let us know in the comments below!