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Klaus Kinski, Oliver Reed, Nicol Williamson, Sarah Miles, Sterling Hayden ... see more see more... , Lance Holcomb , Cornelia Sharpe , Susan George , Michael Gough , Cyril Conway , Charles Cork , Arnold Diamond , John Forbes-Robertson , Mike Gwilym , Edward Hardwicke , Hugh Lloyd , Peter Porteous , Eric Richard , David Sterne , Rita Webb , Paul Williamson , Nicholas Donnelly , Alan Ford , Moti Makan , Tony Meyer , Maurice Colbourne , Michael Watkins

A big black mamba snake that has gotten loose in a townhouse slithers through a kidnapping plot in this film. Based on a novel by Alan Scholefield, Venom features a big name British cast that seems to... read more read more... be slumming in a B-movie project. Dr. Marion Stowe (Sarah Miles) is a toxicologist who has brought the snake to London to study the properties of its deadly venom. It escapes and terrorizes the inhabitants of the townhouse, where an attempted kidnapping is in progress. Dave (Oliver Reed), Jacmel (Klaus Kinski) and Louise (Susan George) are the villains trying to hold the son of a wealthy family for ransom. Original director Tobe Hooper was replaced by Piers Haggard. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

Flixster Users

37% liked it

2,965 ratings

Critics

40% liked it

5 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Piers Haggard

Release Date: January 29, 1981

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DVD Release Date: July 29, 2003

Stats: 101 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (101)


  • January 14, 2011
    It feels kind of like Panic Room, except instead of Dwight Yoakam it has a Black Mamba. With a cast like Kinski, Reed and Hayden I can only the onset shenanigans were insane.
    Also notable for a couple reasons.
    *Kinski decided to do this instead of Raiders (he said Spielberg's scr... read moreipt was "moronically shitty")
    *it's amazing DP Gilbert Taylor (Star Wars, Hard Days Night and Dr. Strangelove)
    *It inspried QT to put a mamba in Kill Bill vol. 2
    *It's Sterling Hayden's last film appearance
  • February 13, 2009
    I saw this as young kid on a Friday night and it scared the living daylights out of me for years. Okay it will be as cheezy as hell now but the way the film is directed at the time was legendary. It was creepy, it was full of suspense and the way Reed gets it at the end will giv... read moree you the willies even today....great film.
  • April 24, 2011
    A ridiculously effective thriller that actually made me jump in spite of myself, as this fucking snake can be lurking ANYWHERE in the house in which it is accidentally let loose.

    A kidnapping turns into a standoff, but there's more than just the criminals and cops to contend wit... read moreh: A deadly poisonous snake makes its way through the ducts of the house, turning up here and there just long enough to kill someone before disappearing again.

    Well worth a look.

Critic Reviews


Scott Weinberg
April 3, 2005
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Kinski is his typical insane self, but this killer snake thriller lacks bite.

Ken Hanke
August 24, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Pretty darn funny, but I don't think that was the idea.

September 16, 2005
Philadelphia Inquirer

No review available.

Vincent Canby
August 30, 2004
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
October 27, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Chuck O'Leary
October 9, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

Felix Vasquez Jr.
May 26, 2011
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

Click to read the article Full Review

January 26, 2006
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

September 26, 2005
AV Club

Click to read the article Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

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Venom Trivia


  • Who plays the role of Venom in Spiderman 3?  Answer »
  • Who are the villians in Spider-Man 3 (not including Harry Osbourne's goblin)?  Answer »
  • Who plays venom in Spiderman 3?  Answer »
  • In Spiderman 3 who plays Venom?  Answer »

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