Superhero films are reaching a breaking point, but Sony struggled even when the MCU was on top of the world. The studio who broke through with the original Spider-Man trilogy in the 2000s has had an exceptionally difficult time keeping pace with its peers, Marvel and DC.
It doesn't help that the continuity of the Sony superhero films, and the rules as to which films are meant to be connected, have never clearly been defined. Venom has been the studio's lone bright spot on the superhero front as of late, but given the previous concerns about continuity, there may be some fans who are walking into Venom: The Last Dance blind. Will the film make sense?
Venom: The Last Dance works as a standalone film
The short answer is yes. Venom: The Last Dance is largely a buddy film in which the titular symbiote and Eddie Brock (both played by Tom Hardy) go on the run to evade capture. The whole point of the is to set up situations in which the odd couple are forced to ward off captors in a cool fashion, or sing songs in the car together.
We won't delve into the spoilers of the film, but part of the appeal of Venom: The Last Dance lies in the fact that it doesn't require a lot of background knowledge. Sure, it helps to know about the planet Venom came from, and Brock's career as a journalist, but the film does a fine job of alluding to these points and clarifying what is pertinent for the viewer.
The film reminds fans what they need to know
Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) are easy rewatches, so we aren't trying to dissuade you from binging them in the lead up to the new film. It's also worth noting that characters like Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu) and former police office Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) return, but the latter takes on such a different role in The Last Dance that he effectively serves as a new antagonist.
The bottom line is that you will be absolutely fine walking into The Last Dance without having any recollection of the previous films. It'll still be a good time.