The horror genre, particularly monster movies, has enjoyed notable success in recent years, with 2025 standing out and 2026 showing promise. A new article highlights ten recent and upcoming films in this subgenre, avoiding simplistic plots like those in Sharknado. Among them is a body horror take on the DC Comics villain Clayface.
Horror fans have benefited from a robust selection of films over the past few years, spanning psychological thrillers, paranormal stories, slashers, and zombie tales. Monster movies have particularly thrived, delivering quality narratives beyond basic creature features.
Recent releases have elevated the subgenre, with upcoming projects poised to continue this momentum. Some franchises feature both current hits and sequels slated for the next one to two years. Highlights include a remake of an iconic horror film, a novel dinosaur story independent of the Jurassic series, a tale linked to Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and an origin for a comic book antagonist.
The tenth entry in the list focuses on Clayface, a character from Batman's rogues' gallery. In James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe—which includes films like Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and Superman—this standalone project explores body horror. Gunn has indicated the DCU will vary in style, and this film diverges sharply from the Superman approach.
Actor Tom Rhys Harries portrays Clayface, who suffers a severe disfigurement that transforms his body into clay. As a comic book adaptation, the extent of horror elements remains uncertain, but the script by Mike Flanagan, known for atmospheric tension, suggests depth. This could play a key role in the evolving DCU.