Venom: Let There Be Carnage was set to release in theaters on October 1st. After multiple delays due to the pandemic, fans are excited to see what Andy Serkis adds to the Venom franchise.

This movie picks off where Venom left off. Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is still getting used to living with the alien symbiote Venom. He keeps his job as a freelance writer for the Daily Bugle, continuing his articles about the deranged serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson).

Then the movie takes a big turn, as Cletus Kasady fuses with part of Venom’s symbiote offspring, becoming Carnage. Unlike Venom, who understands sympathy through its host Eddie Brock, Carnage is completely fueled by death and destruction. Carnage only seems to understand the world through Kasady’s eyes.

I greatly enjoyed watching the dynamic between a clumsy but ethical Eddie Brock, and a sensible but immoral Venom. Director Andy Serkis showed great intimacy between Brock and Venom, choosing to prioritize a brotherly relationship between the two over a host-symbiote one. This film shows how regardless of the way they fit with each other, they need each other.

Venom needs Brock as his host, especially because Brock acts as its moral compass. When Venom hungers for human brains, Brock stops it and tells it to eat chicken brains instead. Meanwhile, Brock needs Venom, not only to stay safe, but also to guide him with its ever-expanding wisdom.

Venom has been alive a lot longer than Brock has, and although it doesn’t understand love, it does understand the intimate connection that Brock feels for Anne Weying (Michelle Williams). Brock tries to pursue her, and although their breakup is heart-wrenching, he understands that they just aren’t meant to be together.

I completely understood the choice to make this story feel more personal. Brock and Venom seem to completely understand the struggle that Kasady goes through to match Carnage, and although it is an immoral relationship, they would’ve hoped that Carnage could have the same sort of bond that Venom has with Brock.

I thought that this movie was fascinating, and I could tell that Serkis really enjoyed working on this film. Serkis has already worked on several superhero movies, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Black Panther, both of which I greatly enjoyed.

Though I think it would’ve been better to include more easter eggs to tie this movie in with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’m glad that Serkis chose to keep this story in its own little world. I felt that it allowed Venom to better connect with the audience, since, unlike other MCU films, there was no other superhero that could just swoop in and save the day.