Whether it’s deserved or not, a movie’s score on Rotten Tomatoes is often used as either definitive proof that it’s a classic or a dud, depending on whether the film in question has been certified fresh or rotten. As such, fans are always keen to see what the initial RT score for their most anticipated movies is. This week, that movie is Venom, and its score on the Tomatometer is not what lovers of the anti-hero were hoping for.
Following a glut of mostly negative reviews, Venom’s RT number is an embarrassingly low 27%. Initially, it came in at 28% but this has been decreased since yesterday as more (bad) reviews have surfaced. As it is, the film currently stands at only 10 positive reviews out of 37, which means that Venom has been certified “rotten.”
Obviously, this score will likely climb somewhat as more reviews come in and provide a bigger, more even sample of opinion, but it’s unlikely to change too much. To explain just how disappointing this is, Venom‘s currently sitting at only 1% higher than classic superhero turkeys like Green Lantern and Ghost Rider. For the reviews claiming it’s as bad as Catwoman or Batman & Robin, though, that’s clearly going a bit far, as Venom‘s 27% is still far better than the 9% and 10% of those DC flops.
According to critics, Venom misses the mark due to a “poorly conceived script” that can’t settle on a consistent tone and so ends up being “crazy, cringey” and even unintentionally funny. That said, many reviews cited that it’s still an entertaining ride despite its flaws and that Tom Hardy gives a “committed” performance and is the saving grace of the production.
This isn’t nice to hear for those of us looking forward to Venom but, as we all know, bad reviews aren’t enough to kill a film on their own. If the box office numbers are strong, Sony’s planned universe of Spider-Man spinoffs could still go ahead. And last month, the signs were pointing to the film breaking records, so things look promising on that front.
Either way, though, you can make your own mind up about Venom when it slithers into cinemas this Friday, October 5th.