Honestly, nobody expected the Venom franchise to last this long. When the first movie dropped in 2018, critics absolutely tore it apart, yet audiences turned it into a massive global hit because, well, Tom Hardy arguing with a voice in his head is peak entertainment. Now we’ve reached Venom El Último Baile (Venom: The Last Dance), and it's a weird, chaotic, and surprisingly emotional goodbye to Eddie Brock and his gooey alien best friend.
It’s the end of an era. Or at least the end of this specific trilogy.
The vibe of Venom El Último Baile is hard to pin down if you’re looking for a standard MCU-style superhero flick. It doesn't really care about being a perfect cinematic masterpiece. Director Kelly Marcel, who has been with the franchise as a writer since the beginning, clearly understands that the heart of these movies isn't the CGI fights or the multiversal stakes—it’s the "odd couple" relationship between a tired journalist and a hungry Klyntar.
The Plot Nobody Saw Coming
Eddie is tired. You can see it in his eyes. In Venom El Último Baile, he and Venom are on the run, hunted by forces from both of their worlds. It’s a road trip movie, basically. But instead of just the FBI or some generic military group chasing them, we get introduced to Knull.
If you aren't a comic book nerd, Knull is a big deal. He’s the creator of the symbiotes, a literal god of darkness who has been trapped in a planetary prison called Klyntar. He needs a "Codex" to escape, and guess who has it? Eddie and Venom. Because they’ve bonded so deeply—literally coming back from the dead together—they hold the key to the destruction of the entire universe. No pressure, right?
The stakes feel massive, but the movie stays grounded in the dirt and grime of budget motels and desert highways. It’s a strange contrast. One minute you’re watching a high-stakes pursuit by "Xenophages" (creatures sent by Knull that look like they crawled out of a nightmare), and the next, Venom is doing a dance routine to ABBA in a Las Vegas penthouse. It’s jarring. It’s silly. It’s exactly what this franchise has always been.
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Why Knull Matters for the Future
The introduction of Knull in Venom El Último Baile is probably the most significant thing Sony has done with their Spider-Man-less universe so far. He’s played via motion capture by Andy Serkis, the king of digital performances. While he doesn't get a huge amount of screen time in this specific film—acting more like a looming threat in the shadows—his presence changes everything.
- Knull isn't just a one-off villain.
- The lore established here connects back to the very origin of the symbiote race.
- Fans are already speculating if he’s the "Thanos-level" threat for Sony’s upcoming projects or even a potential crossover villain for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
The CGI for the Xenophages is actually pretty impressive. They have these grinding "mouths" on their backs that turn anything they eat into a spray of dust. It’s a bit more "horror" than the previous films, which fits the tone of a desperate final stand.
The Tom Hardy Factor
Let’s be real: without Tom Hardy, these movies would have flopped on day one. In Venom El Último Baile, Hardy is doing double duty again, voicing Venom with that gravelly, playful menace while playing Eddie as a man who just wants a beer and a nap.
Hardy actually has a "Story By" credit on this one. He’s deeply invested in these characters. You can tell. There’s a scene where they’re just sitting on a plane—well, Venom is a giant parachute attached to a plane—and they’re talking about their lives. It shouldn't work. It’s a guy talking to himself. But Hardy makes you believe there are two distinct souls sharing that one battered body.
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Breaking Down the "Last Dance"
Is it actually the last one? Sony calls it the finale of the trilogy. The ending of Venom El Último Baile definitely feels final in a way that Let There Be Carnage didn't. There’s a sense of sacrifice here that hits harder than you’d expect from a movie that also features a "Venom-ized" horse sprinting across the desert.
Yes, the Venom-Horse is real. And it’s glorious.
The movie spends a lot of time on the road. We meet a family of alien enthusiasts led by Rhys Ifans (who played the Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man, though he’s playing a different character here, which is confusing but fine). This subplot adds a human element to the chaos. It reminds us what Eddie is fighting to protect—not just the world, but the simple, weird lives of ordinary people.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Sony-Verse
There’s this common complaint that these movies are "messy." People say they don't fit the MCU mold. But that’s actually their strength. Venom El Último Baile doesn't feel like it was written by a committee trying to set up twelve different spin-offs. It feels like a weird, standalone piece of 90s-style action cinema.
It’s loud. It’s often nonsensical. The military characters, led by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Juno Temple, are a bit thin on development. They mostly exist to give exposition about "Imperium," the secret government facility under Area 51 where they study aliens. But you aren't there for the scientists. You're there for the symbiotic mayhem.
The Technical Side of the Symbiote
Visually, the film moves fast. The action sequences in the final act are a massive leap in scale compared to the first two movies. We aren't just seeing one symbiote fight another in a dark forest. We see an entire army of symbiotes—different colors, different powers—teaming up against the Xenophages. It’s a neon-soaked, chaotic brawl that looks like a comic book cover come to life.
- Scale: This is easily the biggest film in the trilogy.
- Sound: The soundtrack is a mix of classic rock and emotional swells that lean heavily into the "end of the road" theme.
- Pacing: It clocks in at around 109 minutes, which is a blessing in an era of three-hour superhero epics. It gets in, does its thing, and gets out.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Newcomers
If you’re planning to dive into Venom El Último Baile, there are a few things you should keep in mind to actually enjoy the experience rather than being confused by the lore.
Watch the previous two movies first.
While the movie tries to catch you up, the emotional weight of Eddie and Venom’s bond only works if you’ve seen them grow from enemies to "lethal protectors." You need to understand their history to care about the goodbye.
Stay for the mid-credits and post-credits.
This is a Marvel-adjacent property. You know the drill. Without spoiling specifics, the mid-credits scene is the one that actually sets up the massive future of the franchise and the looming threat of Knull. The final post-credits scene is more of a character beat, but still worth the wait.
Lower your "Cinematic Universe" expectations.
Don't go in expecting a cameo from every Spider-Man or an explanation of how the multiverse works. Treat this as a character study of a man and his monster. If you accept the silliness—like Venom singing "Space Oddity"—you'll have a much better time.
Pay attention to the Codex explanation.
The movie explains why Knull can't just come to Earth himself. Understanding the "Codex" (which is basically a DNA signature created when a symbiote saves its host’s life) is key to understanding why the stakes are so high for Eddie specifically.
Venom El Último Baile serves as a chaotic, messy, but ultimately heartfelt tribute to a character that many thought would never work on the big screen without Spider-Man. It proves that Tom Hardy’s weird energy was exactly what this franchise needed. While the door is left slightly ajar for future appearances in other films, this specific chapter closes the book on the Eddie Brock we’ve come to know. It’s a fun ride that doesn't take itself too seriously, reminding us that sometimes, a movie can just be about a guy and his alien buddy trying to survive one last night.
To get the most out of the experience, focus on the relationship between the two leads. The plot with the military and the scientists is mostly background noise to the central romance—yes, it’s basically a romance—between Eddie and his symbiote. That is where the real "last dance" happens.