Should I see Venom? (Spoiler Free Review)

The divisive movie everyone is talking about might surprise you. The short answer to the question posed in the title is, of course. This movie has its problems but there are some real redeeming qualities making this a super uh, hero film.

It’s important to address the issues of this film before I get to why you should see it. First things first, why the hell is this film not rated R? With the critical and commercial success of films like Logan and the Deadpool franchise, studios should have more faith in the R-rating. The language alone is riding the line of what I’d consider appropriate, and if they would have committed to an R-rating they could have made it a more enjoyable film. There are further knock-on effects to this decision, chiefly that it does take you out of the movie watching someone bite the big one and there be no mess. The characters motivations are not well known and make little sense. Furthermore, a film with this much CGI is bound to have some really bad moments and Venom is no exception, with several moments which are just plain bad and immersion breaking. One final thing this film does wrong is that it seems to want to pretend it is not a superhero movie, when it is and should be embracing it as such. Granted an argument could be made that it’s an anti-hero movie but it really does not come off as such.

The redeeming qualities of this film start with the cast. I remember when the first trailer dropped, everyone was complaining about the way Tom Hardy sounded, but he was great. Also, it was pleasantly surprising to see Jenny Slate transition from animation into a live action role. The antagonist, Carlton Drake portrayed by Riz Ahmed was calm, intelligent, menacing, and manipulative creating a formula for a memorable villain. There are also a few standout scenes in which the cinematography is expertly crafted and realised. What surprised the most is how enjoyable the “man going insane” style of banter shared between Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote is. There were times in which it was nigh on impossible to contain ones laughter as the voice utters a quick quip or one-liner at the most opportune moments, breaking the tension and getting the audience excited for more. The movie also took a nobody from the comic books and turned Riot into a threat. In spite of the faults, the redeeming qualities are more than enough make it worth seeing.

If all that does not convince you, the post-credit scene has a surprising face and left me absolutely speechless…