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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Columbia Chicago chapter.

If you’ve heard that Venom is bad you’ve heard wrong. Here’s the thing. Is it a great movie for its stylistic choices and cinematography? No. Does it have compelling, thoughtful dialogue? …no. But it does have Tom Hardy with an American accent hosting an alien.

source Giphy

Background for anyone who knows nothing about Venom. Venom is a symbiote (practically an alien) brought to Earth by, you guessed it, Elon Musk- IM KIDDING. Really though, he’s brought to Earth by a smarty pants rich scientist who wants them to merge symbiote and humans so we can live in space. Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a reporter who gets looked into doing a story on the scientist and it goes wrong causing him to lose his job. Eddie is down on his luck when he and the symbiote come together and from there we see this beautiful relationship come to life on screen.

Venom is not really a… nice alien, this isn’t ET, but Eddie restrains him (sort of) and they go on this kind of adventure together.

source Giphy

The first 30 minutes are b o r i n g people. Like, I read the comic and I was bored. We get it Eddie and Anne are in love blah blah blah, Eddie’s a hard edge reporter blah blah blah, Eddie has ethics WHATEVER. When Venom finally comes into play it gets so good. Every minute after the first part was worth my money. It’s not good because it’s the most fantastical movie.

Venom spoiler no context.

The way Venom and Eddie talk to each other is hilarious too. I had a great time watching this movie you guys, I’m literally filled with glee and thinking about buying another ticket to see it as I type.

The movie does suffer though. It was originally rated R, but after test screenings, they brought it down to PG13 and it shows. There are some rough edits and at some points you kind of question it’s PG13 rating because it teeters on the edge from being a little too graphic. There’s subpar acting and long weird speeches given, but you cringe and end up laughing, and it’s okay because everyone in the theater is also laughing. The effects kinda hurt my eyes at some parts so I don’t know that I’d see it in 3D.

If you’ve read this far, you should go see the movie, it’s worth it. And look, I’m not someone who thinks you should go see a bad movie just to confirm it’s bad. Go in with low expectations of what you think this is going to be and you’re going to have the time of your life, I promise. See it with a group of friends and poke holes in it, laugh, make vine references- quietly, it is still a movie theater. If you’re trying to find out if there’s a Tom Holland cameo: there isn’t.

The characters are almost self-aware that they’re in a dark superhero movie and it makes it so good to watch. Tom Hardy did a great job acting like a loon with a parasite in him and oh: Venom and Eddie make out…

Happy watching!

Kara Middleton

Columbia Chicago

Hello, My name is Kara!
Briana Kennedy

Columbia Chicago '19

I am a Columbia College Chicago student majoring in Advertising and double minoring in Marketing and Social Media & Digital Strategy. I am currently a strategy intern for Fusion92. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, watching Netflix, exploring Chicago, and finding the cutest coffee shops.