Phil Roberts 
Venom: The Last Dance is an absolute blast. Although the plot is wafer-thin, and the character assassination is brutal, the film excels with its road trip/bromance vibe. Tom Hardy delivers a solid final outing for our Lethal Protector.
You’ve got to hand it to Tom Hardy; his Venom movies are always a fun rollercoaster ride. They may vary in quality and play fast and loose with the source material, but on the whole, the Venom saga has delivered some of the most fun and over-the-top movies in the last decade. But with Venom: The Last Dance bringing his tenure as Marvel’s first symbiote to an end, all eyes are on the film to send the character out on a high.
With Kelly Marcel stepping into the director’s chair and sharing writing duties with Hardy, the film has all the elements to pull off a fantastic story. But can this duo, who collaborated so effectively on the previous two films, capture that magic once more and deliver the finale we’re all hoping for? Or will Venom’s final journey be another forgettable road trip?
REVIEW
Fear not, Marvel fans, because Venom: The Last Dance is an absolute blast. Although the plot is wafer-thin, and the character assassination is brutal, the film excels with its road trip/bromance vibe. Tom Hardy works wonders with the material to deliver a solid final outing for our beloved Lethal Protector, but I expected more from what is earmarked as Venom’s last hurrah! We are left with another solid outing that plays loose with the lore, makes tokens of its supporting cast, and culminates the saga with an emotionless thud.
Striking the right balance has always been a challenge with this film series. The first installment successfully blended action with rich world-building. Still, while enjoyable and filled with thrills, the sequel fell short of expanding on those strong foundations, turning into a mindless monster spectacle. Fortunately, both films were highly entertaining, and the third installment keeps the momentum going, delivering even more of the same excitement.
THE LAST HUURAH!
The film’s plot is surprisingly straightforward. Knull, the notorious creator of the symbiote army, finds himself imprisoned in the farthest reaches of space after his creations turned against him. While in exile, he has crafted new symbiote hunters to bring his traitorous symbiotes to justice. To reclaim his freedom and restore his powers, he needs a rare symbiote codex to help him break free from his confinement. The only way to obtain this coveted codex is by extracting it from a symbiote and host with a genuine symbiotic bond.
Enter Eddie Brock and Venom. With no clue that Knull has dispatched his new Xenophage symbiote hunters to all corners of the universe to hunt them down, Brock and Venom decide to clear their names and earmark New York as the best place to start their quest for redemption. From here, we follow the duo on their road trip across America. However, a sudden confrontation with some Mexican criminals alerts the Symbiote hunter to Venom’s location.
THE CHASE BEGINS
What follows is a thrilling adventure on two fronts. Eddie Brock and Venom race across the vast desert plains of America, making their way to New York while being relentlessly pursued by the ruthless Xenophage. At the same time, Rex Strickland, a soldier in charge of Imperium—a government operation at the soon-to-be-decommissioned Area 51—has been tasked with capturing Brock and extracting Venom from his body.
Area 51 holds a more profound secret than most people realize: beneath its desert surface lies the world’s first symbiote research center, led by Dr. Teddy Payne (Juno Temple). In this facility, the newly infected Patrick Mulligan is held alongside his symbiote and other captured symbiotes, all aimed at helping humanity better understand these beings and their struggles. From this point, the narrative intertwines as all paths lead back to Area 51.
SYMBIOTE ACTION
As the chess pieces are set in motion, the film transitions into a whirlwind of exhilarating chase sequences, fierce creature confrontations, and military assaults that turn the plot upside down. Fortunately, the stunning visual effects of Industrial Light and Magic take center stage, showcasing some of the most thrilling creature action we’ve seen. The standout addition to the saga is undoubtedly the Xenophage. With its hauntingly monstrous design and spine-tingling roar, this creature brings a much-needed sense of menace to the story, elevating the overall experience.
Fans might assume that Knull takes center stage as the primary antagonist in the story. However, the Xenophage emerges as the main threat in the film, making the experience all the more thrilling. This creature will stick in fans’ minds, and fortunately, its role in the movie isn’t just a passing moment. Expect to see more of the Xenophage as Sony’s cinematic universe expands.
THE ROAD TRIP
Countering the creature action are the human narratives that unfold during the road trip. After a harrowing encounter with Strickland and the Xenophage, Eddie stumbles upon a traveling hippie family in the woods who kindly offer him a ride to Las Vegas. Led superbly by the ever-reliable Rhys Ifans, this family comprises UFO enthusiasts eager for an extraterrestrial encounter. Their dynamic delivers some of the film’s most entertaining and humorous moments, particularly when they cross paths with Brock, who has an alien inside him. These interactions also provide Brock with opportunities for genuine reflection, allowing him to engage in meaningful soul-searching as the story unfolds.
These reflections provide valuable insight into the story’s progression and are essential for fostering the character development that was missing in the previous installment. Unfortunately, this growth is undermined by the return of Mrs. Chen, who feels forced into the narrative in what seems like a desperate attempt to check off a box. While her character gained popularity in the last two films, there’s no objective justification for her inclusion here. Her presence feels added on and contributes very little to the overall storyline.
THE CAST
Unfortunately, Mrs. Chen isn’t the only character left on the sidelines. While Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers his typically strong performance as Rex Strickland, he receives far less screen time than he genuinely merits. On top of that, his character is burdened with some of the film’s clunkiest dialogue. However, Ejiofor’s predicament pales in comparison to Stephen Graham’s portrayal of Patrick Mulligan. After having a significant role in Let There Be Carnage, Mulligan is relegated to the background in the threequel, with his screen time reduced to almost nothing.
Mulligan is infected with the symbiote known as Toxin, Carnage’s offspring in Marvel lore. However, in “Venom: The Last Dance,” this storyline takes a backseat, and the character ends up with a different symbiote that adds little to the overall plot. In fact, Stephen Graham’s role is reduced to little more than a glorified cameo, which feels like a real missed opportunity for an actor of his talent.
THE FUTURE
Juno Temple’s portrayal of Dr. Teddy Payne and Clark Backo’s performance as Sadie Christmas provides an intriguing glimpse into the franchise’s future beyond Venom and Eddie Brock. However, they sadly don’t get nearly enough screen time to truly make an impact. The inclusion of Knull was highly anticipated when the first trailer was released, but unfortunately, this Marvel supervillain has even less screen presence than Stephen Graham. While his appearance hints at exciting developments to come, we needed more than what we’ve been given here.
One of the biggest surprises in the film was Venom’s limited screen time. This absence is linked to a significant plot point, but you’d expect him to play a much more substantial role for a film billed as the character’s final outing. Fortunately, the dynamic between him and Eddie as they journey across America makes up for it. However, if you’re hoping to see Venom engage in multiple epic battles and fully unleash his symbiote fury, you might want to temper your expectations.
VERDICT
While Venom: The Last Dance is an exhilarating ride from beginning to end, it presents a mixed bag of experiences. The film suffers from a weak plot and a serious underutilization of its characters and lore. Nevertheless, it offers a thrilling rollercoaster ride. The atmospheric soundtrack by newcomer Dan Deacon enhances the visual intensity, pulling viewers deeper into the action. The introduction of the beautifully conceptualized Xenophage brings a fresh twist, significantly raising the stakes and adding to the overall tension. The all-new venomized creatures also provide fun surprises and deliver genuinely hilarious moments that will resonate with fans.
But, if you’re hoping for an emotional farewell for the Lethal Protector, you might find yourself let down. While the film wraps up the story neatly, it doesn’t pack the emotional punch needed to make this send-off genuinely memorable. There are certainly some touching moments, but if you’re looking for a tearjerker, you might want to check out We Live in Time or Super/Man instead.
In today’s franchise-driven landscape, this may or may not be the final chapter for Eddie Brock and Venom. Nevertheless, with Tom Hardy steering the ship, The Last Dance offers an entertaining ride, even if it feels somewhat anticlimactic.
We are done…
Venom: The Last Dance is released via Sony Pictures Releasing and is playing in cinemas everywhere now.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
