Location: Historic Admiral Theater, Seattle
As I settled into one of the creaky old seats at the Admiral Theater, the smell of buttered popcorn and a faint sea breeze drifting through the cracks of the historic building, I was ready to immerse myself in the world of Venom: The Last Dance. It’s a quirky theater — perfectly Seattle — with its retro charm and slightly tilted floors. Fitting, I thought, for a movie about a character as chaotic and unpredictable as Venom.
This latest chapter in the Venom saga was a visceral, frenetic rollercoaster from the opening scene. Tom Hardy, as always, delivered an intense and unhinged performance, perfectly straddling the line between Eddie Brock’s simmering humanity and Venom’s wild, alien humor. The film leaned heavily into its action sequences, with fight choreography that felt fluid yet brutal. It’s impossible to look away as Venom lunges, snarls, and cracks dark jokes while tearing through his enemies.
But The Last Dance surprised me by exploring a deeper emotional vein. Beneath the explosions and biting wit, the story teased out themes of connection and identity. Venom and Eddie’s codependent relationship reached new, almost tender, depths. I’ll admit, as a writer, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the darker, conflicted romances I love to explore. There’s something about imperfect characters learning to accept each other that hits me right in the creative sweet spot.
The pacing occasionally wobbled, and the villain didn’t quite deliver the menace I hoped for, but the humor and relentless energy kept the film engaging. A certain rooftop scene — a quiet moment under a neon sky — lingered with me even as I walked back to my Jeep. I could almost hear Venom’s gravelly voice telling me to grab a snack on my way home.
Venom: The Last Dance is not perfect, but it’s unapologetically itself — a chaotic, darkly funny, and unexpectedly heartfelt journey. Just the kind of story I’d want to write if I had an alien symbiote whispering ideas in my ear.
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