Collette Review: Venom: Let There Be Carnage 

I’ll be frank with you; I was not excited about this movie. I had zero expectations for it. I watched its predecessor and thought it was okay. That being said, I watched it once and never desired to pop it on again. So imagine my surprise as I left the theater to the Venom sequel thinking, “Huh, I’d watch that again.”

Venom: Let There Be Carnage begins where the first film left off.  While journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is adjusting to living with the alien Venom inside him, he’s brought in to interview a notorious serial killer, Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson). A fight breaks out between the three, which leads to the creation of Carnage. 

This movie packs a lot into an hour and thirty minutes. We get an entire backstory to Cletus Kasady (including a love interest), a glimpse into Eddie and Venom’s relationship, and the creation of a new villain. It’s a lot to take in. The short run time makes all plot points seem rushed, and many were never fully explained. The entire third act goes by so fast it’s just a mashed-up mess. That being said, it was just fun to watch. It’s bizarre, extremely violent, and strangely romantic.

The sequel portrays Eddie and Venom like a married couple. It’s a comic book movie that feeds into all of the romantic movie tropes. They bicker, have their dramatic fight, and ultimately get back on good terms. It’s what made this sequel enjoyable. Their spats are actually some of the best moments in the film.

I do believe Director Andy Serkis helped this franchise. Many of the scenes were filmed like a horror movie, which led to some fantastic visuals. Plus, there was an added suspense that was missing from the first film. He’s also no stranger to CGI. Sure, some scenes were an eyesore, but others were done exceptionally well. 

The two leads were just okay. There were no stand-out performances. Tom Hardy does alright with the comedy, but he was just hunched over and sweating most of the time. I also wish Harrelson would have played his character a little more manic. It would have been nice to see him become a completely different person. 

In conclusion, Venom: Let There Be Carnage tells many stories in a short time, leading to some of the plot points being lost. But at the end of the day, it is just a fun comic book movie. Also, there is one bombshell mid-credit scene.