Best Movies like Venom (2018)

Upgrade explores a protagonist who is transformed by advanced technology after a personal crisis, paralleling Eddie Brock's journey in Venom as both characters gain extraordinary abilities that blur the line between human and other, leading to violent confrontations with sinister organizations.

A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure — an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that will enhance his body. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has superhuman strength and agility — skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who destroyed his life. Upgrade is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.5 by 5,127 people. The movie made an estimated total of $16,976,561 in the box office.

Life is a relevant recommendation as both films center on confrontations with aggressive extraterrestrial life forms, with the potential for symbiote-like interaction and threat to humanity, echoing the core conflict in Venom between alien power and human society.

The six-member crew of the International Space Station is tasked with studying a sample from Mars that may be the first proof of extra-terrestrial life, which proves more intelligent than ever expected. Life is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.5 by 8,019 people. The movie made an estimated total of $100,541,806 in the box office.

Split Second features the genre blend of science fiction and action in an urban setting, revolving around a protagonist facing off against a monstrous, superhuman threat, sharing Venom’s themes of transformation and battling hidden dangers within the city.

In a flooded future London, Detective Harley Stone hunts a serial killer who murdered his partner and has haunted him ever since — but he soon discovers what he is hunting might not be human. Split Second is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 1992 with an average rating of 5.9 by 371 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,430,822 in the box office.

The Guyver connects directly through its premise of an ordinary individual merging with a bio-mechanical alien device, resulting in superhuman powers and violent battles, much like Eddie Brock's experience as host to the Venom symbiote.

FBI agent Max Reed witnesses Dr. Tetsu Segawa - a researcher for the mysterious Chronos Corporation - being murdered. Dr. Segawa had stolen an alien device known as "The Guyver" from Chronos. College student Sean Barker, whose girlfriend's father was Dr. Segawa, finds the Guyver's hiding spot while watching the forensic team investigating the crime scene. The Guyver is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 32m runtime, released in 1991 with an average rating of 5.6 by 200 people.

The Hidden makes an apt comparison with its plot of alien possession and pursuit, placing law enforcement against an extraterrestrial threat embedded within unsuspecting human hosts, echoing Venom's core dynamic of man-alien fusion and pursuit by powerful organizations.

When average, law-abiding citizens suddenly turn to a life of hedonistic behavior and violent crime, Detective Tom Beck is tasked with helping young FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher determine the cause. The Hidden is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 6.9 by 503 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,747,988 in the box office.

Brightburn subverts the superhero origin by placing superhuman abilities in the hands of a morally ambiguous protagonist, exploring the consequences of power from a nonheroic perspective, a thematic kin to Venom’s tagline asserting the world has enough superheroes.

What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? Brightburn is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 6.2 by 3,531 people. The movie made an estimated total of $33,224,654 in the box office.

The Mask also involves an ordinary man transformed by a powerful and chaotic entity, granting him superhuman abilities and an alter ego, paralleling Eddie Brock’s transformation after bonding with the Venom symbiote.

Timid bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss discovers a magical mask infused with the spirit of the Norse god Loki. Donning it transforms him into an unrestrained, green-faced, cartoon-like wild man. While the mask grants him the confidence to woo a local singer, it also makes him the target of a ruthless mobster. The Mask is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 7.0 by 11,445 people. The movie made an estimated total of $351,583,407 in the box office.

District 9 joins Venom in exploring human-alien interactions in a modern city, with themes of social fallout and body transformation after encountering extraterrestrial organisms, leading to a conflict between the protagonist and exploitative human institutions.

Thirty years ago, aliens arrive on Earth. Not to conquer or give aid, but to find refuge from their dying planet. Separated from humans in a South African area called District 9, the aliens are managed by Multi-National United, which is unconcerned with the aliens' welfare but will do anything to master their advanced technology. When a company field agent contracts a mysterious virus that begins to alter his DNA, there is only one place he can hide: District 9. District 9 is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.5 by 10,501 people. The movie made an estimated total of $210,888,950 in the box office.

Spawn features a protagonist granted extraordinary powers following a traumatic event, forced to grapple with his own violent alter ego and confront sinister organizations, directly mirroring Venom’s blend of transformation and conflicted morality.

After being murdered by corrupt colleagues in a covert government agency, Al Simmons makes a pact with the devil to be resurrected to see his beloved wife Wanda. In exchange for his return to Earth, Simmons agrees to lead Hell's Army in the destruction of mankind. Spawn is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 5.5 by 1,510 people. The movie made an estimated total of $87,840,042 in the box office.

RoboCop’s storyline involves a man forcibly turned into something more than human, struggling with his identity while targeting a corrupt organization, echoing Venom’s themes of personal transformation, internal conflict, and fighting corporate evil.

In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. To test their crime-eradicating cyborgs, the company leads street cop Alex Murphy into an armed confrontation with crime lord Boddicker so they can use his body to support their untested RoboCop prototype. But when RoboCop learns of the company's nefarious plans, he turns on his masters. RoboCop is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 7.4 by 5,844 people. The movie made an estimated total of $53,424,681 in the box office.

Chronicle and Venom both depict accidental acquisition of supernatural powers and the struggle to manage dangerous abilities, with a focus on complex character arcs and the potential for violence when ordinary people become extraordinarily powerful.

Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over. Chronicle is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 24m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.9 by 5,841 people. The movie made an estimated total of $145,000,000 in the box office.

The Incredible Hulk is thematically similar through its focus on a protagonist whose physical transformation brings immense power and an ongoing battle with shadowy antagonists, while also wrestling with the consequences of an involuntary alter ego.

Scientist Bruce Banner scours the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with a new, deadly foe. The Incredible Hulk is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 6.3 by 12,906 people. The movie made an estimated total of $264,770,996 in the box office.

The Toxic Avenger channels similar themes of accidental transformation granting superhuman abilities, positioning the protagonist against corrupt powers in society and exploring the violence that ensues when an ordinary person becomes something monstrous yet powerful.

A gang of thugs devise a cruel hoax that goes horribly wrong as Melvin, a nerdy emaciated janitor at the local health club, is cast through a third story window into a vat of hazardous toxic waste. The Toxic Avenger is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 6.2 by 671 people. The movie made an estimated total of $800,000 in the box office.

Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again centers on a transformation that brings out a protagonist's darker side, mirroring Venom’s alter ego dynamic and the interplay between a man and his powerful, unpredictable 'other self.'

While conducting a research experiment intended to bring about an alternative to modern surgery, exhausted Los Angeles surgeon Dr. Daniel Jekyll falls asleep and accidentally inhales the white powders, transforming him into a wildly uninhibited nymphomaniac. Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 27m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 5.0 by 26 people.

Lucy follows a main character who unexpectedly gains superhuman abilities, detailing her transformation and the resulting struggle against dangerous forces, which parallels the journey undertaken in Venom as powers emerge and enemies pursue.

A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic. Lucy is a movie from France in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.5 by 17,227 people. The movie made an estimated total of $469,058,574 in the box office.

Darkman involves a protagonist who acquires superhuman capabilities after a traumatic event and must contend with his transformed identity, as well as fight against criminal organizations, reflecting the structure and themes central to Venom.

Dr. Peyton Westlake is on the verge of realizing a major breakthrough in synthetic skin when his laboratory is destroyed by gangsters. Having been burned beyond recognition and forever altered by an experimental medical procedure, Westlake becomes known as Darkman, assuming alternate identities in his quest for revenge and a new life with a former love. Darkman is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 35m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 6.4 by 1,547 people. The movie made an estimated total of $48,878,502 in the box office.

Spider-Man is linked by its central conceit of a journalist in New York who gains extraordinary abilities and faces criminal organizations, echoing the transformation and vigilante motifs that drive Venom’s narrative.

After being bitten by a genetically altered spider at Oscorp, nerdy but endearing high school student Peter Parker is endowed with amazing powers to become the superhero known as Spider-Man. Spider-Man is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.3 by 21,027 people. The movie made an estimated total of $821,708,551 in the box office.

Push brings attention to ordinary people developing supernatural powers and being hunted by secretive organizations, a premise closely mirroring Venom's central conflict between newfound abilities and the conspiratorial groups seeking control over them.

After his father, an assassin, is brutally murdered, Nick Gant vows revenge on Division, the covert government agency that dabbles in psychic warfare and experimental drugs. Hiding in Hong Kong's underworld, Nick assembles a band of rogue psychics dedicated to destroying Division. Together with Cassie, a teenage clairvoyant, Nick goes in search of a missing girl and a stolen suitcase that could be the key to accomplishing their mutual goal. Push is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.1 by 2,477 people. The movie made an estimated total of $49,678,401 in the box office.

Bloodshot details the transformation of a protagonist into a superpowered being by technological means, leading to a battle against shadowy institutions—elements also prominent in Venom’s story.

After he and his wife are murdered, marine Ray Garrison is resurrected by a team of scientists. Enhanced with nanotechnology, he becomes a superhuman, biotech killing machine—'Bloodshot'. As Ray first trains with fellow super-soldiers, he cannot recall anything from his former life. But when his memories flood back and he remembers the man that killed both him and his wife, he breaks out of the facility to get revenge, only to discover that there's more to the conspiracy than he thought. Bloodshot is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 6.7 by 5,302 people. The movie made an estimated total of $39,861,118 in the box office.

Species features the menace of an alien entity infiltrating humanity, paralleling Venom’s scenario of an extraterrestrial symbiote merging with a human host, and investigates the consequences of uncontrolled alien power on Earth.

In 1993, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence Project receives a transmission detailing an alien DNA structure, along with instructions on how to splice it with human DNA. The result is Sil, a sensual but deadly creature who can change from a beautiful woman to an armour-plated killing machine in the blink of an eye. Species is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 6.0 by 1,889 people. The movie made an estimated total of $113,400,000 in the box office.

Maniac Cop presents the duality of a protagonist whose latent violence and transformation are set against a city backdrop, aligning with Venom’s themes of split identity, superhuman power, and urban conflict.

A killer dressed in a police uniform begins murdering innocent people on the streets of New York City. Maniac Cop is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 25m runtime, released in 1988 with an average rating of 6.1 by 540 people. The movie made an estimated total of $671,382 in the box office.

Deadpool offers a similar blend of antiheroic character journey, comic-book origins, morally ambiguous powers, and dark humor within a violent, action-focused narrative, much like the tone and themes explored in Venom.

The origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who, after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life. Deadpool is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.6 by 33,030 people. The movie made an estimated total of $782,837,347 in the box office.

Constantine explores supernatural phenomena and a protagonist dealing with forces beyond human control, echoing Venom’s themes of a reluctant hero facing dark, otherworldly threats while caught in a battle between good and evil.

John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Constantine is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 7.2 by 8,374 people. The movie made an estimated total of $230,900,000 in the box office.

An American Werewolf in London resonates through its central character’s involuntary transformation into a dangerous other, exploring the struggle with dual identity and the destructive consequences for those around them, akin to Venom's core conflict.

American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins experiencing disturbing changes to his body and mind. An American Werewolf in London is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 7.4 by 2,747 people. The movie made an estimated total of $31,973,249 in the box office.

I Am Number Four depicts a protagonist hiding from powerful pursuers after gaining extraordinary abilities through alien influence, paralleling the chase and bio-supernatural themes integral to Venom.

A teenage fugitive with an incredible secret races to stay one step ahead of the mysterious forces seeking destroy him. With three dead and one on the run, the race to find the elusive Number Four begins. Outwardly normal teen John Smith never gets too comfortable in the same identity, and along with his guardian, Henri, he is constantly moving from town to town. With each passing day, John gains a stronger grasp on his extraordinary new powers, and his bond to the beings that share his fantastic fate grows stronger. I Am Number Four is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.2 by 5,071 people. The movie made an estimated total of $149,900,000 in the box office.

Super examines the premise of an average person compelled to become a vigilante outside the law, dealing with violence and self-imposed justice, which connects to Venom’s trajectory of forced heroism and struggle against societal evils.

After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills. Super is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.5 by 1,766 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,185,012 in the box office.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s storyline of humans contending with technologically advanced beings and the ethical implications of power and identity offer relevant parallels to Venom’s science fiction premise of human-alien synthesis and ensuing action.

Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a movie from France in English, with a total 2h 17m runtime, released in 1991 with an average rating of 8.2 by 14,588 people. The movie made an estimated total of $517,778,573 in the box office.

Firestarter considers the burden of accidental powers gained under experimental conditions and exploitation by malevolent organizations, much like Venom’s themes of a reluctant protagonist targeted after transformation.

Charlene "Charlie" McGee has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father save her from the threatening government agency which wants to destroy her? Firestarter is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 6.3 by 779 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,080,167 in the box office.

Fallen explores the supernatural war between good and evil through the process of possession, drawing a parallel with Venom’s dual-entity dynamic, where an outside force exerts influence on the human protagonist’s actions.

Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style. Fallen is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 4m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 6.8 by 1,638 people. The movie made an estimated total of $25,232,289 in the box office.

Code 8 examines a world where superhuman powers lead to societal conflict and the constant threat of exploitation, picking up on the central themes of Venom where exceptional abilities attract interest from dangerous organizations.

In Lincoln City, some inhabitants have extraordinary abilities. Most live below the poverty line, under the close surveillance of a heavily militarized police force. Connor, a construction worker with powers, involves with a criminal gang to help his ailing mother. (Based on the short film “Code 8,” 2016.) Code 8 is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 39m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 6.3 by 2,199 people. The movie made an estimated total of $157,209 in the box office.

Limitless spotlights an accidental leap in human potential that radically alters the protagonist’s life, offering similarities to Venom’s exploration of sudden transformation and the new challenges—and threats—that follow.

The life of an unsuccessful writer is transformed by a top-secret 'smart drug' that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life. Limitless is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.2 by 11,597 people. The movie made an estimated total of $161,900,000 in the box office.

Jennifer's Shadow involves the supernatural intersecting with the ordinary, leading to threatening consequences, reflecting Venom’s structure of an everyman thrust into danger through an unwanted connection to dark, paranormal forces.

Willful young Jennifer Cassi travels to South America to claim the inheritance of her recently deceased twin sister Johanna's house. While there Jennifer must contend with her eccentric grandmother Mary Ellen Cassi, who has damned the family with an ancient curse. Jennifer immediately starts to suffer from scary visions of a sinister raven every time she goes to sleep. Jennifer's Shadow is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 5.1 by 15 people.

The Crow tells of a lead character rising with extraordinary powers after a traumatic event, driven toward violent justice, drawing on similar motifs of rebirth, vengeance, and a struggle with a new identity outside the mainstream.

Exactly one year after young rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals, Draven, watched over by a hypnotic crow, returns from the grave to exact revenge. The Crow is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 7.5 by 4,605 people. The movie made an estimated total of $93,722,164 in the box office.

The Faculty navigates the incursion of an alien force into a typical community, examining themes of human hosts manipulated by extraterrestrial threats—directly aligning with the concept behind Venom’s symbiote host.

When creepy things start happening at Herrington High, the students begin to suspect that their faculty is being controlled by body-snatching aliens. The Faculty is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,314 people. The movie made an estimated total of $40,283,321 in the box office.

Hollow Man’s narrative of a scientist undergoing radical transformation and facing the ramifications of unchecked power is consonant with Venom’s premise of human alteration and the dangers that arise when scientific advances cross ethical boundaries.

Cocky researcher Sebastian Caine is working on a project to make living creatures invisible. Determined to achieve the ultimate breakthrough, Caine pushes his team to move to the next phase — using himself as the subject. The test is a success, but when the process can't be reversed and Caine seems doomed to future without flesh, he starts to turn increasingly dangerous. Hollow Man is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 2000 with an average rating of 6.0 by 2,857 people. The movie made an estimated total of $190,213,455 in the box office.

Maximum Overdrive features the premise of ordinary people suddenly confronting a nonhuman, deadly force, paralleling Venom’s narrative of an everyman facing extraordinary and violent entities threatening society.

When a comet passes close to the earth, machines all over the world come alive and go on homicidal rampages. A group of people at a desolate truck stop are held hostage by a gang of murderous 18-wheelers. The frightened people set out to defeat the killer machines…Or be killed by them. Maximum Overdrive is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 5.8 by 878 people. The movie made an estimated total of $7,400,000 in the box office.

Spectral presents a story of confronting invisible, supernatural forces in a contemporary urban setting, echoing Venom’s combination of science fiction action, otherworldly threats, and the battle to thwart them.

A special-ops team is dispatched to fight supernatural beings that have taken over a European city. Spectral is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,045 people.

The Host involves civilian characters dealing with a monstrous entity that emerges within a populated urban area, resulting in clashes between individuals and a powerful, unnatural other—reminiscent of Venom’s alien intrusion and struggle for survival.

A teenage girl is captured by a giant mutated squid-like creature that appears from Seoul's Han River after toxic waste was dumped in it, prompting her family into a frantic search for her. The Host is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.0 by 3,193 people. The movie made an estimated total of $88,489,643 in the box office.

Under the Skin shares Venom's motif of an alien entity interacting with humans, positioning the narrative around the complicated relationship between host and outsider and exploring questions of identity and coexistence.

Man and Woman are reunited after a long time. Sorrow and desire cannot break the silence. But that's okay: when words don't come, it's the body that speaks. Under the Skin is a movie from Brazil in Portuguese, with a total 19m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.2 by 19 people.