Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance marks the supposed final chapter in the saga of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his gooey, alien counterpart, Venom. Since the franchise’s inception in 2018, it has never aimed for highbrow storytelling, instead leaning into a blend of absurd humor and action-packed spectacle. With The Last Dance, the studio delivers one last dose of symbiote mayhem, but is it a fitting conclusion, or does it overstay its welcome?
Plot: Symbiosis on the Brink
Eddie Brock, once a respected journalist in San Francisco, has spent years cohabiting with Venom, a sentient alien symbiote that thrives on chaos, dark humor, and the occasional human head. Their uneasy alliance has always been a balancing act, with Eddie setting moral boundaries while Venom pushes them. But this time, the stakes are higher than ever.
Enter Knull—the so-called God of the Symbiotes, an ancient cosmic entity older than the universe itself. Knull has been trapped in a distant realm but has spent eons creating monstrous xenophobes—massive, reptilian horrors—to hunt down a crucial piece of his escape plan: the Codex. The catch? The Codex resides within Eddie, hidden somewhere in his body. If Knull’s minions retrieve it, he will break free and unleash destruction upon all life.
Thus, Eddie and Venom find themselves relentlessly pursued by these terrifying creatures. They must make an impossible choice: destroy the Codex, ensuring it never falls into the wrong hands, or risk one of them dying in the process.
The Road Trip Nobody Asked For
While the Venom series has always been an odd mix of action and comedy, The Last Dance takes it to another level. The film unexpectedly transforms into a buddy road trip movie, filled with slapstick humor, wacky detours, and some truly bizarre choices.
Eddie and Venom begin their adventure in Mexico before a detour lands them in Nevada, near the infamous Area 51. But surprise—there’s a secret government base (Area 55) hidden underneath, where symbiote experiments are taking place. It’s only a matter of time before Venom and Eddie find themselves at the heart of this classified chaos, pursued by both the U.S. government and Knull’s creatures.
Before all that, however, the duo makes an unnecessary pitstop in Las Vegas. Here, Venom becomes obsessed with gambling, while Eddie finds himself locked in a comically frustrating battle with a slot machine. In a particularly bizarre scene, Venom joins a family road trip, awkwardly harmonizing to David Bowie’s Space Oddity—a moment that is clearly meant to be funny but ends up feeling misplaced.
Action, Absurdity, and Aging Symbiotes
Despite the film’s comedic detours, Venom: The Last Dance doesn’t hold back on its action sequences. The xenophobes are formidable foes, blending high-speed agility with sheer brute force. In one jaw-dropping moment, a xenophobe clings onto a flying plane at 10,000 meters, only for the next scene to show another failing to outrun a motorcycle. This inconsistency speaks to the film’s lack of attention to detail.
Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock, now visibly worn down, delivers a performance that feels half-hearted. His comedic timing is intact, but there’s a noticeable fatigue in his portrayal, making it seem as though he’s outgrown the role. Venom, on the other hand, gets even more screen time, embracing his quirky, unpredictable personality.
One standout moment comes when Venom takes control of a horse, transforming into a massive, black stallion galloping at breakneck speed. The film’s closing credits tease what could have been—a Venom-possessed penguin, sea leopard, and even an elephant. Thankfully, the series ended before it reached those levels of absurdity.
Final Verdict: A Stumble to the Finish Line
The Venom trilogy was never built on logic or depth, and The Last Dance stays true to that spirit. It’s an action-comedy that leans into ridiculousness, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. While a few jokes land, many feel forced, and the film’s pacing often drags due to unnecessary comedic filler.
With dwindling box office numbers, it’s clear that audience interest has waned, and the film doesn’t do much to reignite enthusiasm for another installment. While The Last Dance attempts to give Eddie and Venom a fitting send-off, it ultimately feels more like a drawn-out goodbye rather than an explosive finale. For die-hard fans, it’s an entertaining, albeit messy, conclusion. For everyone else, it’s a reminder that even symbiotes can overstay their welcome.