Movie · 2018 · Science Fiction, Action · 1h 52m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.2/10 (1.9M ratings)
The world has enough Superheroes.
Overview
Investigative journalist Eddie Brock attempts a comeback following a scandal, but accidentally becomes the host of Venom, a violent, super powerful alien symbiote. Soon, he must rely on his newfound powers to protect the world from a shadowy organization looking for a symbiote of their own.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.2/10
IMDb: 6.6/10
Letterboxd: 2.95/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 31%
Metacritic: 35
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Ruben Fleischer
Production
Matt Tolmach Productions, Pascal Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Tencent Pictures, Arad Productions, Columbia Pictures
Cast
Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, Melora Walters, Woody Harrelson, Peggy Lu, Malcolm C. Murray, Sope Aluko, Wayne Péré, Michelle Lee, Kurt Yue, Chris O'Hara, Emilio Rivera, Amelia Young, Ariadne Joseph, Deen Brooksher, David Jones
Where to watch
Disney Plus, fuboTV
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, goofy antihero sci-fi action movie that works best when it leans into its odd-couple body-horror comedy and Tom Hardy’s committed chaos. The plot is thin and the villain is forgettable, but the film has enough energy, creature design, and self-aware absurdity to make it an easy watch for the right audience.
Best for
Viewers who like superhero movies with a weird, unruly streak
Fans of buddy-comedy dynamics disguised as action spectacle
People who enjoy monster-movie body horror and comic-book camp
Audiences looking for a low-stakes, entertaining blockbuster
Skip if
You want tight plotting or a strong villain arc
You dislike broad humor and tonal whiplash
You prefer polished MCU-style worldbuilding
You are not interested in antihero stories or symbiote/body-horror concepts
Overview
Venom is less a conventional superhero movie than a strange, lopsided buddy comedy with explosions. Its biggest asset is the central performance, which treats the character like a feral, half-romantic, half-possessed mess and gives the movie an offbeat personality that the script rarely earns on its own.
Worth noting
The action is serviceable rather than memorable, and the corporate-conspiracy plotting feels generic. But the film’s willingness to be silly, gross, and a little horny in a comic-book way gives it a cult-movie charm that more polished entries often lack.
Bottom line
If you come in expecting a serious origin story, it will probably frustrate you. If you want a noisy, oddball blockbuster with a strong creature premise and a shamelessly goofy tone, it can be a fun watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Robin (3.5★) · 8014 likes
fellas is it gay to literally occupy your bros body?
sree (2★) · 5031 likes
this... is a romantic comedy
Wes (1★) · 4985 likes
when my film class tells me to "analyze every shot of a movie like its a book, since everything has a meaning and purpose behind it aristically and intellectually" what was the artistic and intellectual purpose behind giving venom anime titties in that one scene again
leonard (5★) · 4482 likes
venom really betrayed his entire species for one white boy... relatable
2007 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 19m · PG-13 · Curator 3.0/10 (2.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV, Netflix Standard with Ads
For viewers drawn to symbiote mythology, melodrama, and the weirdly heightened energy of a franchise entry that swings hard.