8 Reasons Upgrade Is The Year's Best Venom Movie

6. The Buddy Dynamic Is Terrific

The two-hander between Eddie Brock and Venom was one of the most-commended aspects of the movie, but even so, due to the lacklustre script it ultimately ended up feeling pretty half-baked compared to its potential.

Though STEM certainly isn't as animated as Venom, it nevertheless makes for a highly entertaining companion for Upgrade's protagonist, voiced with detached aplomb by Simon Maiden. More to the point, Grey and STEM's interactions manage to be both darkly hilarious and dramatically potent at the same time.

We as the audience never forget that Grey is at the mercy of this chip, which is itself a far more complex entity than it first seems. This is certainly the area where Venom most obviously succeeds, but the Eddie-Venom dynamic is still pretty far away from being wholly convincing and fleshed-out.