Venom (2018) introduces audiences to Eddie Brock, a struggling journalist played by Tom Hardy, who becomes the host for an alien symbiote, turning him into the antihero Venom. The film begins with Eddie’s fall from grace after he loses his job and fiancée, Anne, due to his investigation into the powerful and secretive Life Foundation. When he gets access to their lab, he encounters an experiment gone wrong—an alien symbiote that bonds with him, granting him superhuman strength, heightened abilities, and an insatiable hunger for destruction.
As Eddie and the symbiote learn to coexist, they become an unlikely duo. The symbiote, named Venom, is both an ally and a danger, offering Eddie the power to confront dangerous forces, while also pushing him to the brink of madness. The main antagonist, Carlton Drake (played by Riz Ahmed), is the founder of the Life Foundation, who is determined to harness the power of the symbiotes for his own evil purposes, leading to a deadly confrontation between him and Eddie/Venom.
Venom is a mix of dark humor, intense action, and character-driven drama. The film explores Eddie’s internal struggle between his moral compass and the destructive urges of Venom, creating a unique dynamic. With Tom Hardy’s charismatic performance and a blend of humor and thrilling sequences, the film sets up the antihero’s journey, teasing a larger universe for the character. Though criticized for its pacing, Venom delivers an engaging and exciting origin story for the iconic Marvel character.