If you’ve been keeping up with Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (or SSU as some call it), you know it’s been a wild and bumpy ride. For those of us who have only invested in the big screen officially Spidey-adjacent anti-hero, Eddie Brock, the past few years have brought mixed emotions. Sony owns the rights to a massive gallery of Spider-Man characters. However, they can’t bring Spider-Man into their solo adventures, so we watched them combine a bit of a strange thing. “Sony-Verse” from 2018 as the MCU does its thing with Peter Parker.

As a result, Sony has to balance its films with heavy clues that there might be a certain web slinger out there somewhere – but he’s not coming through that door anytime soon. In this slightly messy context, we’ve had three Venom movies so far, each with a new chance to tell Eddie and Venom’s story. So let’s delve into ranking them, starting with the biggest miss and working our way up to the surprise “not bad” conclusion.

3. Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

For a movie called The Last Danceyou’d think this third Venom entry would go all out with the franchise’s Eddie-Venom dynamic. But the ambition of this Kelly Marcel film to be big “swan song” falls hard, both in its material and at the box office, earning only $316,850,196 (Box Office Mojo) – the smallest of the three Venom films. It actually follows the same unfortunate path as Blade trilogy: an ok first film, a crazy but weirdly fun sequel, and then… the crash landing. Maybe you’ve heard The Last Dance it was watchable if you liked the others, but honestly, no. It’s one of those movies where you finish and think, “We’re too nice.”

This time, Eddie is up against a mysterious villain who is rarely seen, sending only personalityless and nearly invulnerable minions after Venom. They are the only real enemies for most of the film. The humor falls flat, and the secondary characters? There are too many of them, taking out the Eddie-Venom mayhem. It looks a lot alike Blade: Trinity in this way. Tom Hardy feels so controlled here compared to the other films; where he once brought energy, he just seems… tired. Michelle Williams’ character has disappeared without a trace. And Eddie’s whole thing about being a journalist? No, it doesn’t happen here.

Despite its title, The Last Dance is trying to create more upcoming Sony-Verse movies (anyone excited for Kraven? Maybe Madame Web?). It’s full of lazy humor, including some painfully comic supporting characters (like a family sneaking into Area 51). Complete with some terrible needle drops (sorry ABBA, Bowie, Queen – your songs deserve better), a 40% Rotten Tomatoesand a 6.2 on IMDBthis is a movie you can safely skip.

It’s not even worth it “The Last Dance” for most fans. If you like Venom’s personality, you might still find something to like here, but honestly, you’re not missing much.

2. Venom (2018)

This Ruben Fleischer movie started it all. Venom released Sony’s SSU in 2018, and it’s amazing that they did it without Spider-Man being involved. No one calls Venom a great superhero movie with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a paltry 30% and a 6.6 on IMDB. But it has its moments. It does the basic job of introducing Eddie Brock before he fuses with Venom, giving us a decent origin story – even if it’s a bit underwhelming.

The plot follows Eddie, a spoiled reporter who ends up bonding with an alien symbiote, and the rest of the film is about this love-hate relationship as Eddie adjusts to his new life. Unfortunately, the first third of the film takes forever to get to the action, and it’s not until the hour mark that Venom really shows up. Editing is also an issue here; some of the action is poorly cut and feels sloppy.

But Tom Hardy As both Eddie and Venom’s voice, he verges on weirdness and is actually quite entertaining. Watching Hardy play two roles with such bizarre energy is the highlight of the film and is probably what makes Venom no work at all. Sure, it’s a poorly paced film with some lackluster effects, but Eddie’s relationship with Venom is already shaping up to be the chaotic and odd couple we’ll be seeing more of going forward.

Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed are also here, doing a respectable job in a film that is clearly not on par with the MCU. Yet somehow, this mix of humor, campy horror, and a slightly too late villain appearance leaves an impression. If nothing else, it’s worth watching just to see Hardy’s take on the world’s most chaotic symbiote — the film grossing $856,085,151 at the box office (Box Office Mojo)

Venom it’s where it all started. It’s buggy, slow, and doesn’t quite hold up, but there’s enough quirky fun here to get fans on board for what’s to come.

1. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Andy Serkis Venom: Let there be carnage it offers the best of this trilogy, which may not be saying much, but it deserves credit where it’s due. This sequel, with a rating of 58% on Tomato meterand a misleading 5.9 on IMDBit works for a few reasons: it’s faster paced, has a more colorful atmosphere, and brings to life a fan-favorite villain, Carnage. It doesn’t quite live up to Carnage’s terrifying comic book reputation, but Woody Harrelson he has enough fun in the role to give it a memorable spark. Cletus Kasady (Carnage’s alter-ego) is a maniac even before he fuses with the symbiote, and with Harrelson in the role, you’ve got enough villain mayhem to keep things interesting.

Also, Tom Hardy is back and going even further with the Eddie-Venom feud. It’s like a monster-filled buddy comedy at this point, with Eddie and Venom’s dysfunctional marriage giving fans plenty of laughs. The film is refreshingly short, clocking in at less than 90 minutes, creating a fun, frenetic pace that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It also looks better than the previous films, thanks to Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson. The action is stronger and the special effects are more polished – it’s a really fun watch if you’re expecting monster mayhem.

Yes, it’s still a flawed film and it’s not doing wonders at the box office, earning $506,813,864 (Box Office Mojo) through his race. Let there be carnage it lacks the deep character moments or gravitas you want from a top superhero movie, but it doesn’t try to be that kind of movie. He just wants to let Venom and Carnage wreck things, and he does that well. Plus, it has one of the best symbiote fights in the trilogy, with enough goofy and over-the-top action to make it a fun time.

Let there be carnage is the most fun of the Venom trilogy. Don’t expect deep storytelling, but if you want wild action, it’s worth a watch.

The Venom trilogy may not be Marvel’s best, but it has a strange charm that keeps us watching. Sony’s SSU, for all its flaws, created a special space for Eddie Brock and Venom. Even though the story stumbled, there was an undeniable passion on the part of Hardy and the team that kept these films from being total flops. You can see the love for the character and the commitment to doing something a little outside the superhero box. And even though they weren’t always traditionally “good” movies, they kept audiences coming back for more.

The Venom character, after all, was never meant to be a polished superhero—he’s the messy, chaotic, monstrous side of the Marvel universe. And maybe that’s why, despite all the weird choices and missteps, we still can’t help but root for Eddie and Venom in their weird, spidery world.