20 Movies Critics HATE But Audiences LOVE

15. Venom

Venom 2018
Sony

The Venom solo movie took a kicking from critics who had little appreciation for its snoozily bland, generic storytelling, or juvenile humour, but never underestimate the breakout potential of a film marketed towards teenage boys.

For though Venom just barely cracked 30% approval with critics, it landed a mighty 80% with general audiences, who seemingly had far greater appreciation for the film's off-the-wall tone and Tom Hardy's central performance, while being less-bothered by its more conventional and obnoxious elements.

Audiences loved it to the tune of $856.1 million worldwide, in fact, launching a trilogy of commercially successful and critically divisive films with over $1.8 billion in receipts at the box office.

Many critics complained that Venom felt like a relic of early 2000s superhero fare - a common ding against the entire Sony Spider-Man Universe - but for many, a bit of early-aughts nostalgia is precisely what the heart wanted in 2018.

 
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Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.