VENOM: THE LAST DANCE. It Doesn’t Blow Your Mind [REVIEW]

“Venom: The Last Dance” isn’t so much a movie as it is a kind of cinematic joke with a touch of affection for the two main characters. And that’s not entirely a bad thing—if you go in prepared for it. At moments, it’s intentionally bad, and at others, just plain bad. In the context of the characters’ journey, the film feels unnecessary, cluttered with extraneous subplots, and filled with an absurdly high number of characters who seem to pop in just to fill screen time. Ultimately, no one really cares about them. Some were supposed to add weight and drama to the story, but that attempt missed the mark. The only thing truly worth watching is the duo of two lovable misfits—the black symbiote and Eddie. They’re hard not to like. It feels as if Sony’s main goal here was to give Tom Hardy a few minutes of pure fun. This was his chance to fully let loose, and Hardy takes it as far as he can. But there’s not much substance to work with. There’s some nostalgia and warmth here, but overall, it feels shallow, too juvenile, and by tomorrow, I’ll have forgotten about it all.

Yes, “Venom: The Last Dance” is the kind of movie you forget as quickly as yesterday’s weather—plotless, stretched thin, and unfortunately boring. If it weren’t for the quirky hippie family, I would have been utterly bored. I doubt many people in the writers’ room focused on helping viewers suspend disbelief, even momentarily. Although the film maintains that shamelessly unpretentious vibe of the first two installments, it has far more empty moments, missed jokes, and illogical sequences. I didn’t expect a coherent plot or believable effects here, as the whole thing is styled like a mix between a VHS-era buddy movie and a low-budget B-film. Even the visuals signal this. The CGI is often terrible—but perhaps intentionally so. Sure, a few jokes and scenes make you smile, mostly thanks to Hardy, who’s having a great time as Eddie Brock and clearly enjoys the character. But when he throws out a line about never forgetting his “buddy,” it struck me that, for the audience, it will likely be the exact opposite. I know this movie will wash over me, just as the second one did. How do I know? This screening made that clear—I couldn’t even remember the references to “Carnage” or recall how the events there unfolded.

Looking at the trilogy from a distance, I feel the Eddie-Venom duo never needed three films. Their story would be perfect as a sitcom—I can imagine episodes where they face everyday problems, like a clogged sink that floods Mrs. Chen’s apartment. Or it could be like “Alf”, but with a twist—Venom, instead of loving cats, has a taste for heads. This format would have captured the goofy, absurd dynamic between Eddie and Venom far better, filled with awkward humor and surreal situations. That’s a format I would’ve happily watched with genuine interest. I felt very little of that enjoyment during “Last Dance” since there was no engaging story or character development. This dynamic didn’t add anything new to what I’d already seen.

One thing to the creators’ credit, though, is their consistency. From beginning to end, they fully commit to this caricatured vision, with Hardy leaning into it, and a script that deliberately balances on the edge of camp. The first “Venom” left me confused—it tried to be an action film with a touch of horror but got lost in stylistic choices, and Hardy seemed unsure of what he wanted to achieve. Only after letting go of my expectations and viewing it as a cheesy buddy comedy did I start to enjoy it. The second installment, “Venom 2: Carnage”, embraced this format even more—full of chaos, absurdity, and cringe-worthy humor. Andy Serkis unapologetically poured on the camp, referencing buddy movies from the late ’80s and early ’90s. And this third film has that same vibe, but less so. Venom doesn’t even eat any heads this time—except one!

That’s actually the trilogy’s biggest strength. Serkis and his team initially, and now Kelly Marcel, clearly understand that they’re creating something absurd—and they enjoy it. This film could have been made with a genuine love for over-the-top dialogue, slapstick gags, and moments where Venom ponders immortal, quasi-philosophical questions like “to eat brains or not to eat?” This sense of irony, love for the characters, and laid-back attitude make “Venom” work, not as cinema but as a comedy manifesto. That’s why it’s disappointing that the finale didn’t go all out. The creators should have turned the absurdity up to the max, letting Venom dance. Instead, we got a few scenes that might become short clips on Instagram or TikTok. That’s it.

As for the plot? It’s there… because it has to be. Knull could be replaced by any random villain, and it wouldn’t make a difference. It’s hard to care because what matters in “Venom” is the Eddie-Venom duo and their humorous dynamic. It was the same in the second film—Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady was there, but he might as well not have existed, as the story didn’t need him or his murderous tendencies. The same goes here. The design of the symbiote hunters is okay, but their power level combined with the finale’s resolution makes no sense at all.

“Venom: The Last Dance” isn’t so much a film as it is another chapter in Hardy’s playground. This spectacle isn’t for everyone—it requires patience for the lack of plot and a lot of silly moments. For those who enjoy seeing Hardy go all in, fully aware of the absurdity, the “Venom” trilogy can be a lighthearted escape. But for anyone looking for even a smidgen of substance, like a sensible story or well-developed plot—they’re better off looking elsewhere.