The objective critiques were not unwarranted; the script has shortcomings, and the characters are underdeveloped. The silver lining, however, is Venom is a well-directed stab of teen horror punctuated with pushy violence and the highest urgency.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 20, 2023

Whereas Skeleton Key was a pleasant surprise, though, there's little pleasant about this amazingly bland horror entry.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 6, 2020

A standard-issue popcorn horror pic.

| Original Score: C+ | Mar 18, 2017

Fun, very tense, and occasionally creepy.

| Aug 14, 2013

This straight-up slasher flick probably should have gone straight to video for the cheesy-looking, computer-generated snakes alone.

Full Review | Mar 7, 2007

The slasher clichés on reshuffle are old enough to predate the births of most of the flick's nubile victims-to-be, including tight-T-shirt wearer Agnes Bruckner.

| Jun 24, 2006

None of the actors is identified until the very end of the credits; in fact, it would have been a kindness not to name them at all, so I won't here.

| Original Score: 1/5 | May 12, 2006

Gillespie consegue criar momentos eficientes de tensão a partir de um roteiro que, mesmo absurdo, sabe explorar bem as convenções do gênero. E, de brinde, o filme ainda conta com uma ótima fotografia.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 9, 2006

Never strays from the mainstream slasher genre's long-decayed bylaws.

| Original Score: C- | Mar 19, 2006

In reality, Venom is nothing more than the teenage slasher formula applied to the swamp.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Feb 19, 2006

...the film eventually degenerates into a conventional and hackneyed mess.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 15, 2006

Don't go in with high expectations, and you might enjoy yourself!

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 12, 2006

Venom is about as animated as Ray the zombie; they're both still up and walking, not realizing they're dead and gone.

| Original Score: 4/10 | Jan 12, 2006

Venom is too darn familiar to become anyone's dark-horse favorite, but I'd say it's worthy of a rental if you love the horror stuff.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 7, 2006

... even by the logistically malleable standards of the horror genre, Venom lacks even the barest rudiments of the form ...

| Original Score: 0/5 | Dec 11, 2005

The death scenes are so unimaginative and the gore is so minimal that you might miss it if you blink.

Full Review | Original Score: 0.5/5 | Dec 6, 2005

If you've seen many schlock shockers, you won't have any trouble seeing where this one's slithering to long before it gets there.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Oct 17, 2005

The final showdown between sole survivor and killer is sufficiently well-done that you wonder why the rest of the film didn't measure up.

Full Review | Oct 8, 2005

Yet for all of its retro charm, the movie is ultimately too routine to recommend.

| Oct 6, 2005

dead from scene one

| Original Score: 1/5 | Sep 23, 2005