The release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage has brought about a spike in interest for blockbuster movies and films about odd-couple dynamics. Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom had the main focus on their inability to coexist, with the movie delivering funny material from the protagonists’ relationship issues.
Viewers who want to watch films relating to high-octane action, symbiotic and scary personalities, and banter between characters like Venom 2 have plenty of options. It’s worth dabbling in different genres for a well-rounded experience. These can be viewed as a binge-watch or on a standalone basis, with fans certain to feel a thematic connection with Let There Be Carnage.
The Odd Couple (1968) - Available On Pluto TV
Felix (Jack Lemmon) is a newly single man who befriends similarly divorced Oscar (Walter Matthau) and moves in with him. Unfortunately for the fun-loving slob Oscar, Felix’s neurotic and hyper ways start to get on his nerves and he begins to find a way out of their arrangement.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage was primarily about Eddie and Venom’s inability to coexist due to their differing personalities and their constant arguments are similar to the ones in The Odd Couple. The movie is a comedy from start to finish, with the characters’ contrasting personalities ultimately making them a perfect fit.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - Available On Starz
The post-credits scene of Venom 2 has set up a future meeting between the very relatable Spider-Man and the symbiote and it links back to this movie. The main story concerns Spider-Man’s battle against Mysterio after the latter manipulates him into handing over Tony Stark’s tech, with Mysterio revealing Peter Parker’s identity in the end.
Venom was transported into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and instantly made his intentions to eat Spider-Man known after he saw the news announcement of his identity. Watching the movie is a great way to link both Venom and Spider-Man together and hype up for the future.
Natural Born Killers (1994) - Available On Starz
Mickey Knox (Woody Harrelson) and his wife Mallory (Juliette Lewis) are a criminal couple whose exploits are glorified by the media who dub them as “Natural Born Killers.” Venom 2 brought Woody Harrelson back in a role very similar to this movie, with Cletus Kasady and Shriek essentially having the same dynamic as Mickey and Mallory.
Natural Born Killers should be a fun watch for Venom fans who wanted to see more of the destructive potential that Cletus and Shriek had. The movie also fully dives into the psyche of the antagonistic pair, and it's a great option for Venom 2 if they want to view it first for a binge-watch of the two films.
Deadpool 2 (2018) - Available On Amazon Instant Video
Venom 2 has a theme of camaraderie despite adversity and it’s much of the same in Deadpool 2. The story involves Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) protecting a child from the time-traveling Cable (Josh Brolin) before they team up to take down the real big bad.
Eddie and Venom had to put aside their differences in Let There Be Carnage to take down the villain and Deadpool manages to do the same with Cable. They also have a similar banter where Deadpool keeps getting on Cable’s nerves due to his tendency to ramble on.
Birds Of Prey (2020) - Available On HBO Max
This film is impressive for being one of the best-reviewed superhero movie spin-offs. Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) assembles the Birds of Prey team to protect Cassandra Cain from the villainous Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) as the characters try to navigate their dysfunctional personalities.
Venom 2 fans will connect to the idea of the protagonists doing right despite their otherwise villainous nature as the symbiote begrudgingly helped Eddie save Anne from Carnage. Harley also doesn’t go out trying to be a hero but circumstances force her to partner up with the rest of the team and save Cassandra.
Split (2016) - Available On Tubi
Venom 2 brought the violent Cletus and Carnage personalities as characters sharing the same body. Split sees Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy) reveal multiple personalities as they look to sacrifice kidnapped girls to bring forward a new, violent persona with superpowers.
The movie will be an enjoyable sidestep for Venom fans as it brings superhero movie elements while diving fully into the horror genre. It can be seen as what Carnage and Cletus had in store if they weren’t stopped by Venom, although Split is very much enjoyable as its own thing.
Locke (2013) - Available On Amazon Instant Video
Tom Hardy delivered a great performance as Venom in what was essentially the actor delivering a one-man show since he plays both the symbiote and Eddie Brock. Locke will appeal to Hardy’s enthusiasts as the movie features the actor alone.
The story is about the titular character’s car ride to attend the birth of his child while dealing with personal issues like confessing his unfaithfulness to his wife and coming to with his own abandoned father. Venom viewers will enjoy the versatility that Hardy brings here and appreciate his role in the superhero movie further.
This Means War (2012) - Available On Amazon Prime Video
Venom 2 gave Tom Hardy the chance to loosen up as most of his roles are gritty and dark. Fans looking for the actor in a similarly light movie can turn to This Means War, a romantic spy comedy where Hardy’s character competes with Chris Pine’s to win the heart of a woman they’re both in love with.
While far from the greatest rom-com out there, the film is still enjoyable for its goofiness and Hardy’s chemistry with Pine. Venom 2 viewers will get the chance to see Hardy play off the reactions to another character as the two spies in This Means War also have a frenemy relationship.
Bumblebee (2018) - Available On Paramount+
The Transformer known as Bumblebee hides on Earth and ends up befriending Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), a girl who helps him escape the authorities. Venom 2 had the titular character deal with hiding away and Eddie’s friendship helping him during this time, which is portrayed in this movie as well.
It’s actually credited for Bumblebee was very well received by critics. The dynamic between Charlie and Bumblebee is more loving than Eddie and Venom, but the premise of a human befriending an alien is similar.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) - Available On Google Play
There’s probably no movie that can match the destructive potential that Venom and Eddie’s partnership had than Hobbs & Shaw. The movie has the titular characters absolutely despise each other but team up for the sake of saving the world from a powerful villain.
Venom and Eddie were constantly insulting each other in Let There Be Carnage, but Hobbs & Shaw likely puts that to shame with the heroes never going a scene without going on long and hilarious threats against each other. Fans of Venom 2 will also enjoy the over-the-top action of this movie that doesn’t compromise on the entertainment value.
