“It’s complicated” is an understatement for the relationships in this movie.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the sequel to Venom (2018), which was made by Sony and directed by Ruben Fleischer. Andy Serkis directs the sequel, which is again from Sony. This movie begins immediately after the events at the end of the first, with Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) writing an article about the serial killings committed by psychopath Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson).      

Accompanied by his symbiotic life partner Venom, Eddie goes to interview Kasady in prison before his inevitable death sentence is carried out. Venom and Eddie have been having relationship troubles in their life – fighting and bickering and lashing out at each other. This conflict spills over to their prison visit, leading to Venom attacking Kasady. Kasady then bites off a piece of each of them. As Kasady is being executed, his newly acquired Symbiote emerges to save him, and they come to be known as Carnage.      

Kasady, having freed himself from prison, plans to rescue his childhood love, Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris). Frances grew up with Kasady in remedial home, but after discovering she had the ability to create a supersonic scream (Shriek) with her voice, she was taken away to The Ravencroft Institute, a prison for people with powers like hers. The two spent their lives incarcerated separately until Kasady gained his new Symbiote. After reuniting, they plan to get married, but first they wish to kill those who wronged them: a police officer who arrested Frances named Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham), and of course Eddie Brock and Venom. It’s a standard pre-wedding to-do list.     

The movie also features the return of Eddie’s former partner Anne Weying (Michelle Williams) who is with her new boyfriend Dr. Dan Lewis (Reid Scott), adding another layer to Eddie and Venom’s relationship trouble. Also returning is Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu), the store owner whom Eddie and Venom have agreed to protect as she both helps and tolerates them.      

The movie’s visual effects and action overall are great, with some especially well-formatted shots throughout. The pacing is inconsistent and when paired with a plot that varies in quality, writing-wise this movie does have some trouble. It can feel pretty campy and silly at times, even for a comic book film. The soundtrack isn’t really worth mentioning, and the acting wasn’t anything amazing, although Tom Hardy remains consistent as the best performance and best part of this universe.    

Let There Be Carnage is a quick and fun romp with great action and visuals that, despite some flaws, still managed to be a good addition to Eddie and Venom’s story. And after the credits roll, there is a fairly wild scene with shocking implications for Eddie Brock and Venom’s next appearance on the big screen that you won’t want to miss.