‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ review: Dir. Andy Serkis (2021)

Three years on from Sony’s monstrously successful, Marvel-adjacent Spider-Man spin-off, and here we are with a brand new adventure in the burgeoning superhero universe. After Sony made an unprecedented deal with Marvel Studios in 2015, to collaborate on future big screen appearances of Spider-Man, they were left with a unique predicament in regards to forging their own piece of the comic book cash-cow. This hastily resulted in the first Tom Hardy vehicle that, for better or worse, made more than enough at the box office to justify further entries in the series. It’s still a little hard to believe that we’ve arrived at a point in the superhero craze where an entire franchise has been built around a traditionally villainous supporting character, in a slight off brand fashion, without a physical appearance from the wall crawler himself. But, more on that later. Venom: Let There Be Carnage represents a fascinating examination of the modern day value in internationally popular Ip’s, and corporate tug of war, with genuine love of the source material and art form caught somewhere dangerously in between. The question is, is the actual film itself anywhere near as interesting?

The story picks up a year and a half after the original, with Eddie Brock (Hardy) and Venom still continuing to inhabit the same body. While the mismatched odd-couple have clearly come to an agreement, both parties are beginning to grow increasingly frustrated with their living arrangements. Meanwhile, after an incredibly on-the-nose cameo in the last film, we’re re-introduced to Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), a maniacal serial killer with a taste for…you guessed it, Carnage. When Brock’s investigative journalism ends up with Kasady receiving the death penalty, a violent encounter between the two results in the latter also becoming host to an alien symbiote of his own. Once he escapes, he embarks on a brutal revenge mission to cause…yep right again! Carnage. Make no mistake, subtlety is not this sequel’s strongest suit, and the phrase ‘Let Their Be Carnage’ is of course screamed at the top of the character’s lungs at one point. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much as deep as he is ever really explored, while Harrelson is left with little to do other than chew scenery and attempt to mirror Hardy’s wacky schtick. 

Fortunately, it’s Hardy’s film and he’s given ample opportunity to showcase his talents. Continuing his bonkers performance born out of a marriage between Jim Carey’s The Mask and Bugs Bunny, the Mad Max star delivers a thrilling show as the lethal protector. Watching Eddie and Venom (also hilariously voiced by Hardy) bicker endlessly about everything from menial day-to-day tasks, to the moral implications of literally eating people alive, is a sight to behold. If this sort of thing isn’t your cup of tea however, be prepared to spend quite a bit of time watching Hardy talking to himself. Not all of the jokes land, and the film certainly isn’t quite as funny as it thinks it is, but the dedication of its leading man is the stuff of magic. The overall tone has definitely leaned into the seemingly accidental wackiness of the original, which is probably the right direction to take this iteration of the character, even if it may irk some fans. There is still the feeling that there’s some serious untapped potential here where the origin of the symbiote’s and Venom’s darker comic roots are concerned. But, if there’s anything we’ve learned from Marvel Studios, that’s what sequels are for.

Andy Serkis takes the directorial reigns from Ruben Fleischer this time round and delivers a much more competent film. Although, opinion on how low that bar sits is debatable. Of course, this is hardly a surprise with Serkis so well versed in the world of visual effects, as well as the comic book genre after his appearances in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther and the latest upcoming Batman reboot. He keeps the narrative brisk with a tight runtime of 97 minutes, which is almost unheard of in the age of the modern blockbuster. But, there is a certain beauty to the simplicity and fast pace of the film. In a world of three hour, continuity-laden epics that require a vast breadth of knowledge prior to walking into the theatre, this may come as a refreshing change of pace for some moviegoers. Like its 2018 predecessor, this functions as a fun throwback to a time somewhere in the mid 2000’s when the genre was its infancy. 

The climactic battle between between the two titular characters is an undeniably entertaining highlight, closely followed by Venom’s emotional outburst in a rave, but it’s the post-credits scene that’s destined to be the biggest talking point. While the films current success can likely be at least partially attributed to its semi-standalone nature, perhaps its ironically fitting that its place in the ongoing story of Sony VS Marvel: The War For Spider-Man has already become its most memorable sequence. Finally promising the long awaited meeting between a currently wanted Peter Parker and a multiverse stranded Eddie Brock, in an apparent peace offering between two studios, it seems like more questions have been raised for now. Will Venom appear in No Way Home? Will we will be able to take him seriously as a villainous presence after spending two films getting to know the goofy cannibal? And how much time will Eddie Spend arguing with himself about eating Peter’s brain? Thankfully, these are answers it feels like we could be getting sooner rather than later now. 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is clearly not without its flaws. Both Michelle Williams and Naomi Harris are criminally under-utilised in their roles, with the latter barely even speaking for the majority of her screen time. But, for viewers who enjoyed the first film, this is easily a much sleeker, more refined, and overall superior version of what came before. Tom Hardy is superb once again, and leaves us wanting more of his take on Venom. If this is any indicator, the quality of these films are creeping up slowly but surely, and with more sequels likely on the way, we can only hope the stars align for his inevitable clash with you know who.