Movie Review: Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) directed by Andy Serkis

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is still living with the Venom symbiote though everyone else thinks the symbiote died at the end of the last film. They are having a hard time together because they are a very dysfunctional pair. Brock gets a break in his journalist career when serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) requests Eddie for a pre-execution interview. Kasady is unhinged and rambling. He eventually bites Brock and claims his blood tastes weird. Kasady's cell is covered with images and writing he's carved into the stone. Eddie returns home and writes up a story. With Venom's help, he figures out where some other victims' bodies are buried (using the cell wall drawings), making Eddie more respected and successful as a reporter. That doesn't really help Eddie and Venom. They decide to separate. Unfortunately, Kasady got a bit of the symbiote through his bite and it grows into Carnage, a red-colored symbiote that frees Kasady from prison as he is being lethally injected. Kasady wants to free his girlfriend Shriek (Naomie Harris) from a mental institution for mutants. Carnage agrees as long as they do something he wants--take over the world. Or at least kill Venom.

While there were plenty of funny bits and the special effects were amazing, the overall plot was not that interesting. Harrelson is not used to his fullest though he does well enough with what he has. Michelle Williams reprises her role as Eddie's ex Anne, though it isn't really clear why the character is sticking around since she is engaged to a doctor. The movie introduces a lot of dualities (Eddie/Venom, Kasady/Carnage, Venom/Carnage, Eddie & Anne/Kasady & Shriek, Eddie & Anne/the doctor & Anne) but never does anything interesting with them. I wanted some more substance to the story or some discernible character growth, or even changes. This movie falls into the standard action/buddy movie slot with not much to distinguish itself.

Slightly recommend, though it is better than the first film.