I often say that cinema has room for all kinds of films and stories. Just as the big screen can and should deliver thought-provoking narratives that leave viewers reflecting on what they’ve just watched for days, the 7th art should also offer pure entertainment pieces to appeal to a wide audience. The now-trilogy Venom clearly fits into the latter category, but even so, I couldn’t quite get on board the “so bad it’s good” train for the first two installments. That said, there was still a sliver of hope for Venom: The Last Dance, the saga’s conclusion that has divided critics and audiences alike.
Kelly Marcel, who contributed to the scripts for the first two movies, now takes the opportunity to close Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom’s story with her directorial debut. Venom: The Last Dance picks up immediately after the events of Let There Be Carnage, with the protagonists labeled fugitives. Pursued by their respective worlds, and with the pressure closing in, the duo is forced to make a devastating decision that will bring Eddie and Venom’s final dance to an end.
Let’s be honest: we all know why this franchise has been a hit with general audiences but failed to win over most critics. Venom is an action-driven saga crowded with visual effects and straightforward humor, focusing on the constant banter between Eddie and Venom, with little thematic depth, narrative, or even profound character development. Apart from the main duo, every other character is a cheap, superficial version of generic villains and sidekicks.
For viewers who don’t go to the theater often or only enjoy specific genres, Venom: The Last Dance is exactly the type of experience they want to have at the theater. For critics who watch hundreds of new releases each year, generic narratives can quickly become highly predictable, boring, and frustrating. Personally, as someone in the latter group, my expectations weren’t exactly high going in, but I found myself leaving the cinema with an unexpected smile.
The biggest highlight and main positive factor of Venom: The Last Dance remains the same as in previous films: the humorous interactions between Eddie and Venom – Hardy deserves much praise for the dual role played during this trilogy. The endless banter between the two beings, incapable of being honest and openly expressing their love for each other, is the narrative element that most contributes to the movie’s overall entertainment value. This time, however, the stakes are actually serious, with real consequences. The sense of finality is palpable, and Marcel manages to use this unique unpredictability to build more tension and suspense in the third act.
Overall, the comedy in Venom: The Last Dance works better than in its predecessors, and although the final act falls into the typical genre trap of relying heavily on CGI-laden sequences, the VFX department and Marcel’s direction keep the action flowing, energetic, and relatively easy to follow. A certain plot point even helps bring some creativity to the fight styles. Nevertheless, the script includes so many uninteresting, even irrelevant characters and secondary storylines that it’s possible to reach the final minutes already too tired to fully enjoy them.
Venom: The Last Dance is structurally clumsy, introducing new characters halfway through its runtime and, as a result, making the story overly packed and frustratingly sluggish. There’s an excellent exploration of identity, morality, alienation, and personal sacrifice amid all this narrative mess, but the main focus is constantly “attacked” by unnecessary detours instead of centering on Eddie and Venom’s bromance. The creative choices regarding the “villain” are puzzling and clearly feel like studio mandates, given the lack of payoff for the repetitive, inconsequential foreshadowing.
In the end, what truly matters is the film’s emotional impact on viewers. Venom: The Last Dance has the same attributes and flaws as the previous flicks, but it not only reduces its issues but finally makes the most of what’s good, culminating in a surprisingly touching conclusion. This proves that Marcel, Hardy & co. genuinely wanted to close this chapter of their careers as best as possible. It’s not, nor will it be a memorable trilogy, but I can’t complain about this ending and wouldn’t be surprised if, one day, I find myself rewatching Eddie and Venom’s last adventure.
Venom: The Last Dance ends the trilogy while maintaining the saga’s irreverent spirit, though without truly overcoming the limitations that have always accompanied it. Despite the genuine attempt to deepen Eddie and Venom’s emotions and sacrifices, the movie ends up following the same predictable formulas and clichés, weighed down by too many characters and unnecessary plotlines. That said, the third act does hold some action-related surprises, and Kelly Marcel delivers a functional, surprisingly moving farewell that will please the saga’s fans. It doesn’t come close to being a high point in its respective genre, but it closes Eddie and Venom’s journey with one last burst of simple entertainment and an admittedly memorable final sequence.
