If you’ve been keeping up with Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (or SSU, as some call it), you know it’s one wild and bumpy ride. For those of us invested in the big screen’s only officially Spidey-adjacent anti-hero, Eddie Brock, the past few years have brought mixed emotions. Sony owns the rights to a massive Spider-Man gallery of characters. Still, they can’t exactly bring Spider-Man himself into their solo adventures, so we’ve been watching them piece together a somewhat awkward “Sony-Verse” since 2018, all while the MCU does its own thing with Peter Parker.
As a result, Sony has to balance its films with heavy hints that a certain web-slinger might be out there somewhere – but he’s not coming through that door anytime soon. In this slightly messy context, we have three Venom movies so far, with each one taking a new shot at telling Eddie and Venom’s story. So, let’s dive into ranking them, starting with the biggest miss and moving toward the surprise “not-bad” conclusion.
3. Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
For a movie called The Last Dance, you’d think this third Venom entry would go all out with the franchise’s Eddie-Venom dynamic. But this Kelly Marcel movie’s ambition to be a big “swan song” falls hard, both in its fabric and at the box office making just $316,850,196 [Box-Office Mojo] – the least of the three Venom films. This one actually follows the same unfortunate path as the Blade trilogy: an okay first film, an insane but weirdly fun sequel, and then… the crash landing. You might’ve heard The Last Dance was watchable if you liked the others, but frankly, no. It’s one of those movies where you finish and think, “We’re just being too nice.”
This time around, Eddie faces a mysterious villain who’s rarely seen, just sending personality-free, nigh-invulnerable minions after Venom. Those are the only real foes for most of the film. The humor falls flat, and the side characters? There are too many of them, taking away from the Eddie-Venom chaos. It’s a lot like Blade: Trinity in that way. Tom Hardy feels so checked out here compared to the other films; where he once brought energy, he just looks… tired. Michelle Williams’s character vanished without a trace. And Eddie’s whole thing about being a journalist? Nope, not happening here.
Despite its title, The Last Dance tries setting up more future Sony-Verse movies (anyone excited for Kraven? Maybe Madame Web?). It’s packed with lazy humor, including some painful comic relief side characters (like a family sneaking into Area 51). Top that with some dreadful needle drops (sorry, ABBA, Bowie, Queen – your songs deserve better), a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 6.2 on IMDB, this is a movie you can safely skip.
It’s not even worth a “last dance” for most fans. If you like Venom’s personality, you might still find something to like here, but honestly, you’re not missing much.
2. Venom (2018)
This Ruben Fleischer film started it all. Venom launched Sony’s SSU in 2018, and it’s kind of amazing they did this without Spider-Man involved. No one’s calling Venom a great superhero movie, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a paltry 30% and a 6.6 on IMDB. But it’s got its moments. It does the basic job of introducing Eddie Brock before he merges with Venom, giving us a decent origin story – even if it’s a bit underwhelming.
The plot follows Eddie, a washed-up reporter who ends up bonding with an alien symbiote, and the rest of the film is about this love-hate relationship as Eddie adjusts to his new life. Unfortunately, the first third of the movie takes forever to get to the action, and it’s not until nearly the hour mark that Venom really shows up. Editing is also an issue here; some of the action is poorly cut and feels sloppy.
But Tom Hardy is all in. Playing both Eddie and the voice of Venom, he leans into the weirdness, and it’s actually pretty entertaining. Watching Hardy play two roles with such bizarre energy is the highlight of the movie, and it’s likely what makes Venom work at all. Sure, it’s a poorly-paced film with some lackluster effects, but Eddie’s relationship with Venom is already shaping up to be the chaotic, odd couple we’ll see more of in the sequels.
Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed are here too, doing a respectable job in a movie that’s clearly not on par with the MCU. Yet somehow, this mix of humor, campy horror, and one slightly too-late villain appearance leaves an impression. If nothing else, it’s worth watching just to see Hardy’s take on the world’s most chaotic symbiote – with the film raking in $856,085,151 at the box office [Box-Office Mojo]
Venom is where it all began. It’s flawed, slow, and doesn’t totally hold up, but there’s enough weird fun here to get fans on board for what’s to come.
1. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Andy Serkis’ Venom: Let There Be Carnage delivers the best in this trilogy, which may not be saying much, but credit where it’s due. This sequel, with a 58% rating on the Tomatometer, and a misleading 5.9 on IMDB, works for a few reasons: it’s faster-paced, it’s got a more colorful vibe, and it brings a fan-favorite villain, Carnage, to life. It doesn’t totally live up to Carnage’s terrifying comic-book reputation, but Woody Harrelson has enough fun in the role to give it a memorable spark. Cletus Kasady (Carnage’s alter-ego) is a maniac even before he merges with the symbiote, and with Harrelson in the role, you’ve got just enough villain chaos to keep things interesting.
Also, Tom Hardy is back and goes even further with Eddie-Venom bickering. It’s like a monster-filled buddy comedy at this point, with Eddie and Venom’s dysfunctional marriage giving fans plenty to laugh about. The movie is refreshingly short, zipping by in under 90 minutes, making for a fun, frantic pace that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It also looks better than the previous movies, thanks to Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson. The action is punchier, and the special effects are more polished – it’s a genuinely fun watch if you go in expecting monster mayhem.
Yes, it’s still a flawed movie and doesn’t do wonders at the box office, making $506,813,864 [Box-Office Mojo] through its run. Let There Be Carnage lacks deep character moments or the gravitas you might want from a top-tier superhero film, but it doesn’t try to be that kind of movie. It just wants to let Venom and Carnage smash things, and it does that well. Plus, it’s got one of the best symbiote fights in the trilogy, with enough goofy, over-the-top action to make it a fun time.
Let There Be Carnage is the most fun of the Venom trilogy. Don’t expect deep storytelling, but if you want wild action, it’s worth the watch.
The Venom trilogy may not be Marvel’s finest, but it’s got a strange charm that keeps us watching. Sony’s SSU, for all its flaws, has carved out a special space for Eddie Brock and Venom. Even as the story stumbled, there was an undeniable passion from Hardy and the team that kept these movies from being total flops. You can see the love for the character and a commitment to doing something a little outside the superhero box. And even if they weren’t always traditionally “good” movies, they’ve kept audiences coming back for more.
The character Venom, after all, was never meant to be a polished superhero – he’s the messy, chaotic, and monstrous side of Marvel’s world. And maybe that’s why, despite all the weird choices and missteps, we still can’t help but root for Eddie and Venom in their strange, spidery world.
