Fusing elements of action and suspense with comedy, Venom creatively displays the birth of an anti-hero while foregrounding their internal struggles to deliver an entertaining movie. However, although the movie is humorous and exciting with certain scenes standing out from the rest, it does not establish a proper equilibrium between those varying features and fails to lay the foundation for significant plot twists as well as to create a compelling villain.
A spacecraft of the Life Foundation carrying four specimens of an alien species known as ‘symbiotes’ crashes upon re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere, allowing one of them to escape. With the three other symbiotes in his possession, Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake secretly begins experiments on human-symbiote fusion in order to surpass the ‘flawed structure’ of the human body. However, his plans are foiled when investigative reporter Eddie Brock uncovers the truth before merging with the symbiote known as ‘Venom’. Struggling to find common ground with the entity within him, Brock must now escape Drake’s men and the police that hunt him as the rogue symbiote known as ‘Riot’ makes its move.
The movie focuses on two main plotlines: one being Carlton Drake’s plans to alter the anatomy of humans so they could adapt to alien environments when the earth becomes uninhabitable, and the other being Eddie Brock’s and Venom’s journey to understanding each other.
Drake’s humanitarian facade masks his true identity: an apathetic manipulator who disregards the wellbeing of others in order to achieve his own selfish desires—evident in his enthusiasm for using the homeless as test subjects for illegal and dangerous experiments, as well as knowing how to twist words in such a manner that it makes the other person yield to his wishes.
Riz Ahmed’s performance was fairly good given the limitations on his character. Although there were certain lines that accentuated Drake’s malice and hypocrisy, the script and direction of the movie failed to help him reach his full potential: Carlton Drake lacked solidity and consistency as a villain. Furthermore, there was neither an introduction to Drake’s background nor was there an attempt powerful enough to connect him with the audience. Hence, he seemed to be a villain present for the sole purpose of giving the hero—or rather the anti-hero—someone to stop. Riot was quite underused until the end of the movie, however, the final battle between him and Venom was outstanding.
In contrast with Drake, better attention had been given to Eddie Brock and his relationship with Venom. The movie portrays him as a tenacious individual while revealing the numerous reports he has made on pressing matters; a symbol of Brock’s dedication to his fellow man.
Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock was brilliant, especially in the scenes depicting the internal battles between him and Venom. His expressions of fear and confusion were noteworthy when Venom was rampant during the initial stages of symbiosis, as well as during the chase sequences that followed. The conversations between Brock and Venom were entertaining to watch as Brock struggled to prevent the symbiote with an insatiable hunger from preying on every person they encountered.
However, as the movie progresses, we see Venom’s destructive nature take a turn for the better as he is influenced by Eddie Brock’s integrity. This symbolised a deeper understanding between the pair and revealed that Venom had begun to adopt attributes of Brock’s personality.
The movie mainly focused on the character development of Brock and Venom both individually and as a team, while aiming to combine comedy with suspense; and although those aspects did meld well, for the most part, they also hindered the tone of the movie in some instances. However, the combat scene with the SWAT team and the motorcycle chase sequence stood out, as Venom’s fluidity, adaptability, and ferocity were utilised creatively.
The choice of music as well as its timing was well-placed and added to the suspense, while the special effects and CGI combined with the cinematography were brilliant in bringing the giant and monstrous symbiotes as well as their swift movements to life. The settings and costumes also suited the characters and their situations, especially for Eddie Brock during his struggles right before and after his encounter with Venom.
Although the trailer of Venom teased his liking for biting off people’s heads, the movie plays it safe and limits the visibility of the scenes where it does take place, which is rather absurd: why set the atmosphere for such a scene if it would not be followed through completely?
The movie would have done better if it were R-rated since there would have been more room to make characters such as Venom and Riot more terrifying and compelling. After all, Venom is an anti-hero and therefore, does not require the restrictions that are usually present in other superhero movies.
Perhaps it could be said that similar to Eddie Brock’s relationship with Venom, the symbiosis between the various elements in the movie too, was a riot. In the end, Venom does not stand out from the crowd in the best way it could have, but it is still a decent movie that one could enjoy.
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