Deadpool can take a seat. Venom was always my favorite antihero in the Marvel comics. Funny and clever without relying on vulgarity, Venom also works well because he's just terrifying. A sentient alien blob who melds its form with that of its host, the Symbiote known as Venom allowed Marvel comics to tap into anxieties about alien life, parasites, and the age-old problem of doubles. The character is a novel spin on the Jekyll/Hyde relationship (or the Hulk situation) in which the two consciousnesses -- human and alien -- are in constant dialogue. And we're privy to it! "We are Venom," indeed.
Venom is a fine origin story, but it's a fabulous flick in its own right. Blending action with hardcore body horror, the film is a sort of breathless race to its finish line, wherein we laugh as we cringe and sit there in awe as it takes us on a wild ride. Its drastic tonal shifts might put some viewers off, but for me this structure effectively put me in the headspace of the character. It's weird. It's supposed to be weird. And in a field of far too many superheroes for our cultural good, Venom bravely carves out a space for itself.
Here's the deal: If you go in not wanting to enjoy the movie, you will hate it. If you actively fight its simplistic turns and whirlwind of plot points and action, you will hate it. But if, like Eddie Brock, you allow yourself to submit, Venom will give you satisfaction and a new appreciation for what it's trying to do.
I'm not going to waste time with the plot, because you know it. And if you don't, go see the movie and you will learn. The film's energy and style really worked well for me until the climax. Though the film relies on Tom Hardy's performance, the moments of action often rely on visual effects; the climax becomes an absolute mess of confused images and blurred action in a fully computer-generated realm. It's not appealing, and it's all too common in superhero movies these days. Thankfully, it doesn't last long.
Tom Hardy delivers his usual excellent craft as host Eddie Brock, but here he imbues the character with a magnificently dry sense of humor that mixes flawlessly with Venom's bloodthirsty earnestness. It's also a refreshing view in our times of a world-weary but genuinely content reporter who enjoys speaking truth to power. Michelle Williams shows up as his ex and also new love interest, and though I feared the film would squander her -- and it kind of does -- she shows up in a few lovely scenes, especially near the end when Venom bonds with her for a hot (and pretty queer!) moment. And Riz Ahmed is just wonderful, always. Here he's an idealistic scientist trying to perfect the human species by looking to the stars; he gets his comeuppance when another Symbiote bonds with him and they become Riot.
An interesting correlation presents itself between this film and Upgrade, which came out earlier this year. That film starred Logan Marshall-Green, who I've often called the poor man's Tom Hardy. And while it seems likely that Venom had a larger budget, I'd argue that Upgrade more effectively captures the body horror and marries it to a unique aesthetic vision. But there's no doubt Venom has a lot more fun doing it. I mean, it's absurd that this parasitic bond-turned-bromance relies on one half trying to stop the other from biting off people's heads, but the film owns it absolutely. And by the end, their relationship is even endearing. That's no small feat. All that said, it's also fair to maybe rethink the labels we use here: Venom resides comfortably in that uncomfortable space between antihero and full-on villain, and we need to be okay with that.
Some people lament that Venom won't work without Spider-man. I did. But then I saw this movie. And I'm ready for a sequel already. And, given the mid-credits scene, I'm praying it's Carnage.
IMDb: Venom
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