Critics say that 'Venom' is so bad that it might actually be good

Carrie Wittmer

Oct 3, 2018, 20:09 IST

Critics say that 'Venom' is so bad that it might actually be good

Sony

There are two big movies coming out this weekend. One of them is Bradley Cooper's "A Star is Born," which is loved by critics and expected to sweep the Oscars in major categories. The other? Not so much.

It's "Venom," which does not exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is produced by Sony. "Venom" stars Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, and Riz Ahmed. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams said that the main reason she took the role was the chance to work with Tom Hardy, but later mentioned money was a factor too.

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And critics say "Venom" is a mess, and it currently has a 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes. But even the most scathing reviews of the movie indicated that it is still a good time, because it is so awesomely bad that you can't help but enjoy yourself.

Hardy, Williams, and Ahmed do what they can with a clunky, boring plot, but the film doesn't seem to know what its own tone is. The movie is, essentially, exactly what you'd expect after seeing the hilarious trailer.

Here's what the critics are saying about "Venom," in theaters Friday:

"It's a mess, but wow, is it ever a fun, fascinating mess."

"A movie that initially seemed just-plain-bad becomes so-bad-it's-good. Or maybe it's just plain good. It's been a full day since I've seen it, and honestly, I'm still not sure. Either way, I laughed a lot."

"It would be true to say that the tongue and Tom Hardy are the making of Sony's venture into the Marvel Universe."

"The tone of this movie is all over the place, and it's the inconsistencies rather than the absence of Tom Holland in a starring role that are Venom's real problem."

"Venom is neither triumph nor train-wreck. It's a mediocre origin story, a superhero host that sadly fails to bond with its comedy parasite"

"How Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, and Riz Ahmed read this piss-poor script and decided it would make a deserving movie is an oral history worth reading 10 years from now."

"Venom is not a good movie, but I also want to make it clear that I had the time of my life watching it."

"You could almost convince me the messy tone was part of some genius master plan to make a movie that matched its title character's disjointed temperament. Almost."

"Venom would be another anonymous notch on the superhero movie belt if not for Hardy, whose dedication to batsh** nonsense is a saving grace - and reason enough to make a second movie."

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