Nightcrawler - 4/5

This movie is a tense, slow burn thriller about a sort of decent into madness, though not nearly as precipitously as many of its peers. Its drama is nuanced and visceral, as is its social commentary which avoids sweeping clichés in favor of astute observations about the human condition. But because the story surrounds such an extreme personality the film avoids being preachy or overbearing in its messaging, settling into a niche that’s simultaneously ‘fascination of other’ and ‘familiar relatability’.

Closest comparison: It’s like Network by way of Joker (2019).

Setting: Corporate Drama
Plot: Descent into Madness
Tone: Suspense Thriller

Venom - 3/5

It’s not ‘Good’ but there are parts that are really good. Fight scenes are often well done with great special effects, though the final fight in particular is surprisingly bad. Venom is funny with a dark sense of humor, which meshes well with this version of the character as well as with Tom Hardy’s Eddy Brock. It’s a different take on both characters, and the bad editing really muddles what could have been great. They seem to have expanded Venom’s power set somewhat, which is fun to watch but contradicts itself in a few minor places. Venom bites off a few heads, but always off screen so as to maintain the PG-13 rating and the violence is mostly punching and throwing. If you don’t mind waiting 25 minutes to see him get the symbiote, it’s a fun action movie.

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