Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
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Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote Venom must confront a lethal new threat when a serial killer becomes the host of a deadly offshoot known as Carnage.
The story
In the present day, a detective tasks journalist Eddie Brock with speaking to a serial killer named Cletus in prison. Following the meeting, Eddie's alien symbiote, Venom, helps him uncover the location of the killer's victims, providing Eddie with a career boost. However, the duo must navigate the complications of their symbiotic relationship while trying to stay under the radar. When Cletus is sentenced to death, a violent confrontation occurs, leading to a dangerous escalation as a secondary, more aggressive symbiote known as Carnage emerges, forcing Eddie and Venom to face a formidable new adversary.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The story begins in 1996 with Frances Barrison, who develops sonic powers and is institutionalized. In the present, detective Patrick Mulligan asks journalist Eddie Brock to interview serial killer Cletus Kasady. After Eddie helps identify the location of Cletus's victims, he and his symbiote, Venom, attempt to live in peace. During Cletus's execution, a red symbiote named Carnage emerges, taking over Cletus's body and sparking a rampage. Carnage and Cletus team up to free Frances from the Ravencroft Institute. Meanwhile, Eddie's ex-fiancée Anne Weying helps him track down Venom after it becomes separated from him. The plot culminates in a confrontation at Grace Cathedral, where Eddie and Venom face off against Carnage and the powerful Frances. After a violent battle where Venom devours both antagonists, the film ends with Eddie and Venom going on a beach vacation, followed by a mid-credits scene where they are transported to a different universe where they witness the identity of Spider-Man.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Andy Serkis
- Writers
- Kelly Marcel · screenplay; Tom Hardy · story; Kelly Marcel · story
- Cast and characters
- Tom Hardy · Eddie Brock / Venom; Michelle Williams · Anne Weying; Naomie Harris · Frances Barrison / Shriek; Reid Scott · Dan Lewis; Stephen Graham · Patrick Mulligan; Woody Harrelson · Cletus Kasady / Carnage
- Genres
- superhero; science fiction; action
- Themes
- partnership; identity; self-acceptance
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; comedic; dark
- Setting
- San Francisco, present day
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; symbiote; buddy-movie
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Franchise connections
- Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU)
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success, grossing $506 million worldwide and becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2021.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 58% · scale: percentage · review count: 283; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 48; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 76% · scale: percentage
- Production trivia
- The title 'Venom: Love Will Tear Us Apart' was considered but not used.; The film's mid-credits scene was directed by Jon Watts.; The character of Cletus Kasady was introduced in a mid-credits scene in the first film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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