Venom

Venom is a British horror thriller set in London, where a wealthy family's young son becomes the centre of a kidnapping plot. The household staff, led by chauffeur Dave Averconnelly and a criminal named Jacques Müller, plan to hold the boy for ransom while his parents are away in Rome. Their scheme goes wrong because of a mix-up at the pet shop: the snake delivered to the house is not the harmless reptile the boy expected but a highly venomous black mamba. The snake escapes and moves through the house, turning the criminals, their accomplices and their hostages into potential victims as police gather outside.

Piers Haggard directed the film, his second feature after Blood on Satan's Claw (1971). Robert Carrington wrote the screenplay, and Martin Bregman produced. The cast includes Klaus Kinski, Oliver Reed, Nicol Williamson, Sarah Miles, Sterling Hayden and Cornelia Sharpe, with 34 credited performers in total.

Released on 28 November 1981, the film runs 93 minutes. It took about 5 million dollars worldwide, a modest return. Audiences rate it 5.8 out of 10 on IMDb from around 3,800 votes and 5.7 out of 10 on TMDB from 93 votes. A critics' rating of 5.3 out of 10 from nine reviews places it slightly below the audience scores, suggesting broadly middling reception on both sides.