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Action thriller

Venom (2018): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Venom (2018) movie poster

Venom is a 2018 action thriller directed by Ruben Fleischer, starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Venom, Riz Ahmed and Michelle Lee. It is inspired by Venom Epic Collection: Lethal Protector by David Michelinie and Peter David. It runs 1 hour 52 minutes and earned $856.1 million worldwide on a $100 million budget. Critics gave it 31% on Rotten Tomatoes and 35 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.6/10.

IMDb rating
6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes
31%
worldwide gross
$856.1M
Echo Score
53
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Venom (2018) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 52m (112 min)
Director
Ruben Fleischer
Genres
Action , Sci-Fi , Thriller , Horror
Original language
English
Budget
$100M
After the credits
Yes Extra scene during or after the credits
The story

What Is Venom About?

The premise of Venom without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A determined journalist, Eddie Brock, finds his life irrevocably changed when he bonds with an extraterrestrial symbiote known as Venom. This dangerous alien grants Eddie extraordinary abilities but also blurs the line between hero and monster. Pursued by the ruthless scientist Carlton Drake, who seeks to exploit Venom's power, Eddie must learn to control his transformations and confront Drake's sinister plans before they threaten humanity.

Venom Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • anti hero
  • alien
  • superhero
  • based on comic book
  • symbiote
  • villain
  • one word title
  • sony spiderverse
  • journalist
  • eddie brock character
  • venom character
  • spin off
+38 more
  • violence
  • spaceship
  • lawyer
  • betrayal
  • showdown
  • chase
  • rescue
  • action hero
  • fear
  • fugitive
  • doctor
  • scientist
  • survival
  • scene after end credits
  • surprise after end credits
  • drone
  • surrealism
  • bar
  • symbiosis
  • blockbuster
  • cletus kasady character
  • superhero action
  • wilhelm scream
  • san francisco california
  • experiment
  • creature feature
  • monster
  • parasite
  • survivalist group
  • malaysia
  • illegal science experiment
  • human experiment
  • vagrant
  • death
  • investigative journalist
  • research facility
  • sneaking
  • noise
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Cast & crew

Venom Cast & Characters

Tom Hardy leads the cast as Eddie Brock, Venom, with Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, Riot and Michelle Lee as Malaysia EMT, Riot Host. Directed by Ruben Fleischer; 27 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Ruben Fleischer

More films directed by Ruben Fleischer, best-rated first: Zombieland, Zombieland: Double Tap, Gangster Squad and 30 Minutes or Less.

Full filmography
Ratings

Venom Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Venom 31% on Rotten Tomatoes and 35 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.6/10. Our Echo Score gives it 53/100, strongest in art & craft (70) and weakest in story & flow (30).

53 /100

Venom Echo Score Breakdown

Overall, Venom presents a mixed reception, balancing inventive visual craftsmanship against a muddled narrative framework. Its striking CGI and energetic style earn commendation, while the storyline is frequently criticized for predictability and incoherence. Tom Hardy’s enthusiastic performance emerges as a highlight in spite of limited character depth or chemistry. The film’s auditory and visual elements alternate between compelling moments and jarring missteps. Ultimately, Venom delivers intermittent excitement but struggles to maintain cohesion, resulting in an uneven yet occasionally entertaining experience.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 70

    In terms of Art & Craft, Venom demonstrates notable strengths in visual execution and technical design. Reviewers highlighted the clever CGI implementation and the production’s willingness to embrace a distinctive, viscous aesthetic for the symbiote. Direction maintains a brisk sense of style through dynamic framing and editing, although some sequences suffer from a lack of visual cohesion. Visual ingenuity in effect-driven scenes offers genuine flair. Overall, the film’s art direction succeeds in creating memorable imagery, despite occasional lapses in consistency.

  • Character & Emotion 60

    When it comes to Character & Emotion, Venom benefits significantly from its lead performance. Tom Hardy’s committed portrayal brings energy and a playful dynamic to the symbiotic duo, anchoring the film amid otherwise thin characterizations. However, secondary roles lack depth and interpersonal chemistry feels uneven, limiting emotional engagement beyond the central pairing. Attempts at will-they-won’t-they tension offer some intrigue but fail to resonate consistently. Therefore, character work remains uneven despite a standout lead.

  • Story & Flow 30

    In terms of Story & Flow, Venom struggles with narrative coherence and pacing. Viewers frequently noted that the plot unfolds with predictable beats and noticeable gaps, undermining engagement. Although the film injects moments of energetic action, these sequences often feel disconnected from the central storyline. Attempts at originality in character relationships and humor fall short of compensating for structural weaknesses. Consequently, the film’s storytelling remains one of its least effective elements, constraining its overall impact.

  • Sensory Experience 60

    When evaluating the Sensory Experience, Venom delivers mixed results across its audio-visual spectrum. The visual style earns praise for its dynamic CGI sequences and bold creature design, which showcase the symbiote’s fluid motion. Conversely, the soundtrack and sound design drew criticism for uneven musical cues and occasional tonal discord. Moments of sensory spectacle create genuine excitement, yet inconsistent audio integration can detract from immersion. Overall, the sensory dimension oscillates between compelling flair and jarring missteps.

  • Rewatch Factor 45

    In terms of Rewatch Factor, Venom offers limited replay appeal for many viewers. The film’s energetic set pieces and central comedic tension provide brief entertainment, yet its reliance on predictable plot turns diminishes lasting allure. While some appreciate revisiting the lead’s dynamic performance, the absence of deeper thematic or character layering reduces motivation for subsequent viewings. Occasional highlights emerge in action and humor, but overall, the film’s long-term resonance remains modest.

Plot

Venom Plot Summary

What happens in Venom from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

While venturing into the depths of space to seek out new habitable planets, a probe from the Life Foundation—an ambitious bio-engineering firm—stumbles upon a comet teeming with symbiotic lifeforms. As they retrieve four samples and bring them back to Earth, an accident results in one of the samples escaping, leading to a catastrophic ship crash in Malaysia. Although search teams fail to locate the escaped sample, one astronaut miraculously survives the wreckage.

Once the astronaut is taken to an ambulance for emergency care, the dormant Symbiote seizes control of his body, ultimately causing the destruction of the ambulance. The Symbiote, now inhabiting the form of a nurse, acquires the astonishing ability to heal human bodies and sets its sights on the Life Foundation’s insignia, directing its movements toward the corporation.

Full summary

The whole story of Venom, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Venom Box Office & Budget

Venom grossed $856.1 million worldwide on a $100 million budget, 8.6 times what it cost. $213.5 million came from the US and Canada and $642.6 million (75%) from the rest of the world.

2018 box office

Worldwide gross

$856.1M

8.6× its budget

US & Canada
$213.5M
International
$642.6M
Budget
$100M
US & Canada 25% Rest of the world 75%
Videos

Venom Trailers & Videos

6 videos: 2 trailers and 4 clips.

All 6 videos
Official Trailer
  • Trailer Official Trailer 2
  • Clip Ambushing Drake
  • Clip To Protect and Sever
  • Clip Rock Out With Your Brock Out
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Venom?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What organization does Carlton Drake lead?

Cars

Cars in Venom

90 cars on screen, including the 2015 Ducati Scrambler Classic and the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

All 90 cars
  • 2015 Ducati Scrambler Classic in Venom 2015 Ducati Scrambler Classic Main role
  • 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT in Venom 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Important role
  • 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport in Venom 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport Important role
  • 2007 BAE Systems Caiman CMTV in Venom 2007 BAE Systems Caiman CMTV Minor role
Details

Venom Also Known As

22 alternative titles, including “베놈” and “Веном”.

Also known as
  • 베놈
  • Веном
  • Venom: Zehirli Öfke
  • 毒液:致命守护者
  • فينوم
  • سم
  • Venom 2018
  • ヴェノム:2018
  • Venom 1
  • زہر
  • Վենոմ
  • 猛毒
+10 more
  • Венъм
  • ונום
  • Venomas
  • 毒魔
  • वेनम
  • Venoms
  • ヴェノム
  • เวน่อม
  • ونوم, ვენომი
  • Fenom

Seen Venom?

FAQ

Venom FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Venom, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Venom?

Venom runs 1 hour 52 minutes (112 minutes).

When was Venom released?

Venom was released on October 5, 2018.

Who directed Venom?

Venom was directed by Ruben Fleischer.

More films by Ruben Fleischer

Who is in the cast of Venom?

Venom stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Venom, Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, Riot and Michelle Lee as Malaysia EMT, Riot Host, among 27 credited actors.

How much did Venom make at the box office?

Venom grossed $856.1 million worldwide ($213.5 million domestic, $642.6 million international) on a budget of $100 million.

How is Venom rated?

Venom has 6.6/10 on IMDb, 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, 35 on Metacritic and 68% on TMDB.

Does Venom have a post-credit scene?

Yes. Venom has an extra scene during or after the credits, so it is worth staying seated.

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