Venom: Let There Be Carnage review – sufficient superhero sequel

This low-stakes sequel sees the return of Tom Hardy’s Venom, a cheeky, gravel-voiced alien “symbiote”, and Eddie Brock (also played by Hardy), the human journalist he shares a body with. The plot revolves around serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), the subject of one of Brock’s articles. Kasady is infected with his own symbiote, Carnage. Angry, red and tentacled, they rampage San Francisco looking for Kasady’s mutant ex-girlfriend, Frances (Naomie Harris, fun but underused), who has a scream that topples cars. In an improvement on the film’s predecessor, director Andy Serkis dispenses with detailed explanations and instead amps up the humour, leaning into the goofy, flirtatious dynamic between Venom and Brock.