We all need to unwind sometimes, and what better way to do so than movie nights. The projector is up and running, and last week we voted on an anti-hero origin story and a surprisingly entertaining comedy. Sometimes movies don’t require those in-depth reviews, so here’s a quick summary of the highs and lows of Venom and Game Night.

Venom

Sony does not have the best reputation for its Marvel movies. However, with the rising trend in spotlighting the anti-heroes in both film and literature, it was inevitable that Sony would want to try their hand at bringing their backlog of Marvel villains to life on the big screen. On paper, Venom seemed primed for success, especially with Tom Hardy taking the helm for this notorious Spider-man villain. The result, a mixed bag. Tom Hary was easily the highlight of the film, bringing to life to the both Eddie Brock and Venom, creating an effortless dynamic between the two characters that gave way to plenty of banter keeping the film energised and fun. However, Tom Hardy cannot carry the film on his own, and the weak narrative followed the same generic formula seen in most superhero origin films. It’s a shame that even with Riz Ahmed as the films titular antagonist, his roles didn’t amount to anything substantial or original. There’s no sense of urgency to the conflict at hand and the film, in general, lacked direction. The post-credit scene introduces viewers to Woody Harrelson’s Carnage, directly setting up its sequel, but time will tell whether or not Venom can prove to be anything more than a generic superhero film.

Game Night

Perhaps one of the most underrated comedy films of 2018, Game Night sees Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman team up in hilarious comedy about a game night gone wrong. Brought together by their competitive spirit, married gamers, Annie (McAdams) and Max (Bateman) frequently host weekly game nights with their closest friends. Trouble arises when Max’s brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler) turns up and upon arranging for a role-playing mystery company to host his game night, no one would have anticipated his kidnapping to be legitimate. What follows is a series of events that take Max and friends on one wild trip, full of crazy antics and moments of comedy gold. McAdams and Bateman shine in this comedy as the unassuming pair find themselves holding the kidnappers’ hostage, performing a google advised incision, and robbing a notorious criminal. Their shrewd comedic timing shone throughout the film, leading to plenty of laugh out loud moments in a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

What did you think of Venom?
Have you seen Game Night?
What’s the best action/comedy film you’ve seen?