Ranking Every Venom Movie, From Worst To Best

Since he burst on the scene in the 80s, Venom has become one of the most popular characters not just in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, but in comics in general. Since then, Venom has had a healthy film career, and we’re ranking each of his movies from worst to best!

Every Venom Movie, Ranked

Venom is no stranger to appearances outside comics. His roles as the main antagonist in games like Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and his appearances in animated shows, have made him extremely popular.

To clarify, when we talk about movies starring Venom, we mean two things. First, he has to be a major character in that film. He can’t just make a cameo appearance, like Eddie Brock did briefly in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Second, the film had to be released theatrically. He has popped up in a few animated specials and Direct-To-DVD movies, but those are footnotes. With that, we have clear criteria for what makes a Venom movie, so here’s our ranking of every one from worst to best.

4) Spider-Man 3 (2007)

It may seem somewhat cheap to call Spider-Man 3 a Venom movie given how Venom only appears in the film’s climax, but the Symbiote first bonded with Spider-Man before Eddie Brock, which is what gave us the black Spider-suit. Technically, that makes it a Venom movie. Semantic arguments aside, Spider-Man 3 sucks.

It’s not the complete disaster some people may say, but if we’re viewing it as a Venom movie, it’s a complete dud. The eternal punchline that is Emo Peter is a byproduct of the Symbiote bonding with him and even when we do get Venom as his own character, he’s bonded to Topher Grace’s Brock (complete with goofy sharp teeth) and lands with the impact of a wet fart. Fans were excited to see Venom finally make his big-screen debut, but his appearance in Spider-Man 3 is a colossal disappointment

3) Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

The second installment in the Venom trilogy isn’t a great movie. You can say that about all of the Venom movies, but at the very least there’s something enjoyable about watching a series focused on being a stupid good time. That isn’t Venom: Let There Be Carnage though. The film is a dull affair where we follow Eddie and Venom as they contend with Cletus Kasady and his Symbiote, Carnage, and it doesn’t have the same spark the first film had.

It should be goofy watching Woody Harrelson wear a terrible wig and Venom and Eddie act like they’re in a rom-com, but it just doesn’t work. Even if you’re looking at the film as a superhero action flick, there’s only one mediocre action scene at the end of the film. You could definitely tell that this entry had “middle-child syndrome,” making it less interesting than the first film and less grand than the final film.

2) Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Speaking of a grand finale, Venom: The Last Dance should be better than it is. It’s a fine enough movie that does everything you expect from a Venom film, but it can’t quite stick the landing. Tom Hardy continues to have fun playing both Eddie Brock and Venom, with Venom probably being the most balanced between violent anti-hero and comedic sidekick that he’s ever been. The fight scenes are solid as we watch multiple Symbiotes fight a horde of alien creatures, but then you start to realize the film’s numerous problems.

Knull is teased as an antagonist but doesn’t actually do anything, and the ending disappoints on nearly every front. Like other films in the series, it feels like it ends before it has a chance to really get going, but seeing as how Venom: The Last Dance sets up so much and does very little with it, it makes me wonder why this is where things end. Venom deserves a fourth film, if only to get a proper resolution.

1) Venom (2018)

Sometimes we want a high-quality cinematic experience and sometimes we want junk food. Venom is pure junk food in the best way possible. Seeing Tom Hardy as a sweaty and nervous wreck as Venom says and does some outrageously violent and dumb things is a treat in the purest sense of the word. No, most of the actual plot of the film isn’t that memorable — or even that good — yet Hardy’s performance really brings the Lethal Protector to life. It’s a solid blend of dark comedy and action that few films manage to get right, making the first installment in the Venom trilogy the best. Sometimes you just want to hear a giant CGI monster call someone a turd in the wind.