The Toxic Avenger (2025)

​“The Toxic Avenger” stars Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon.  Released at Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2023, followed by a theatrical release on August 29, 2025, the film has a janitor gaining mutant abilities after a freak accident.

The film was written and directed by Macon Blair, who worked on movies such as “The Monkey’s Paw”, “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore”, “Hold the Dark”, and “Brothers”.  It is a reboot of the “Toxic Avenger” franchise.  Many heroes throughout history embody their own version of justice, whether with their extraordinary abilities or without.  Some serve as beacons of hope and generosity within their communities.  The other ones, on the other hand, take a more violent and grotesque approach without giving much of a splat about their no-kill policies.  One example of the latter is a hero whose toxic treatment of criminals reflects his deformed appearance, often delivered by a mop.  This particular hero is the “Toxic Avenger”, a former janitor who was once ridiculed, transformed into a grotesque monstrosity by toxic waste, and now uses his mutated powers to defend his town against various criminals.  However, his methods of justice are not for the faint of heart, given his “toxic” behavior, but at least it’s less intolerable than the behaviors seen on social media.

This superhero first emerged in the 1984 film helmed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, produced by the B-movie studio Troma Entertainment.  Initially overlooked upon its release, “The Toxic Avenger” gained a cult following through successful midnight screenings, celebrated for its campy charm and extreme violence.  Its popularity led to a media franchise that includes sequels, a video game, a comic book series, a stage musical, and an animated television series titled “Toxic Crusaders”, which was part of a trend of adapting adult content for children through cartoons.  Unfortunately, production delays for the fifth installment put the franchise at a standstill, leaving “Toxic Avenger IV” as the last appearance of the deformed superhero in all his cheesy glory.  That is, until actor and filmmaker Macon Blair revived the B-movie franchise with a reboot that brings this grotesque hero to modern times.  

The reboot had a significant impact at the 2023 Fantastic Fest, where it served as the opening film and received rave reviews upon its release.  However, it struggled to secure a theatrical release due to its violent content, until two years later when entertainment company Cineverse acquired the distribution rights.  Given that Cineverse recently released “Terrifier 3” unrated last year, this announcement didn’t come as a surprise.  Now that it has been finally released nationwide, the question remains: Was it worth the two-year wait, or should it be discarded like toxic waste?  Let’s find out.       

The story centers on Winston Gooze (Dinklage), a widowed janitor working for a corrupt company notorious for its hazardous toxic waste disposal practices.  He also navigates a strained relationship with his stepson, Wade (Tremblay), who’s deemed an outcast by everyone around him.  When the company denies coverage for his medical treatment, Winston decides to take action, leading him to confront a group of criminals who subsequently toss him into the vat of toxic waste.  This incident transforms Winston into a mutated freak of nature equipped with superhuman strength.  Wielding his trusty yet highly dangerous mop, Winston harnesses his unique powers to protect his town from his former boss, Bob Garbinger (Bacon), ultimately becoming an unexpected hero in the process.

The “Toxic Avenger” reboot was actually the first real introduction to the superhero franchise.  Initially, I was put off by its cheesy B-movie aesthetic and was too young to recognize its significance at the time.  It’s amusing to note that this is coming from someone who watches plenty of superhero content.  When I learned that the reboot was set to hit theaters this year, I seized the opportunity to finally watch the original film and its sequels on Amazon Prime.  Unsurprisingly, they are just as violent, grotesque, and wonderfully cheesy as everyone had claimed.  While the sequels were noticeable downgrades from the ridiculously entertaining narrative of their predecessor, they still deliver moments of absurd hilarity that maintain their B-movie charm.  I haven’t watched the “Toxic Crusaders” animated series, but that might be for the best unless someone convinces me otherwise.  Armed with knowledge of the films’ intention, I was prepared to dive into another wildly savage and outlandish adventure with the mutilated vigilante, which aimed to convey its ultra-violent B-movie nature for modern times.

The most crucial thing to know about “Toxic Avenger” is that if you’re familiar with the previous films, you know exactly what to expect from the reboot.  Much like its predecessors, “The Toxic Avenger” does not shy away from its extreme violence while maintaining a B-movie style, complete with cheesy elements and practical effects.  This is underscored by the word “Unrated” beneath the film’s title, signaling that there’s plenty of outrageous stuff too violent for today’s audiences.  Given my history with movies featuring ultra-violence and bawdy material, I occasionally found myself wincing at certain scenes, yet none drove me to walk out like everybody else.  So, you could say I managed to handle “The Toxic Avenger” without any issues, but does that qualify it as an entertaining watch?  Most certainly, provided you can stomach some of the nasty stuff that comes with it.

While it may not be as extremely violent as I initially anticipated, “The Toxic Avenger” demonstrated that it didn’t need to rely solely on gratuitous content to be entertaining.  The film delivered the satisfaction of its story underneath its bizarre world-building without sacrificing the fun of its absurd elements, such as characters being dismembered by a toxic mop.  Amid its familiar superhero tropes, “The Toxic Avenger” explores the complex father-son relationship between Winston and Wade, strained by the death of Wade’s mother and Winston’s inability to stand up for himself and others.  With his newfound toxic powers and a disfigured face, Winston seizes the chance to repair his bond with Wade and muster the courage to expose the company he once worked for.  The reboot sought to inject a surprising amount of emotional depth amidst its grotesque and B-movie aesthetics, an aspect the 1984 film and its sequels lacked.  The film’s heart not only stems from the family dynamic between Winston and Wade but also from its environmental commentary on bravery and corruption.  Macon Blair’s screenplay offered plenty of familiar tropes we’ve seen plenty of times, along with a couple of nostalgic nods to the original for longtime fans.  However, he also infused them with a blend of wit, warmth, and dark humor that revitalizes its formula through campy charm and blood without being a copycat of the original film.  Although the script isn’t flawless in conveying its themes, it provided something the previous installments struggled with—a beating heart within the toxicity that makes me care about its characters.

As previously mentioned, “The Toxic Avenger” strived to be nothing more than a corny B-movie splatter-fest complete with gore and silly antics.  This task was given to Macon Blair following his acclaimed directorial debut, “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore”, a film that I hadn’t heard of until recently.  Consequently, this makes “The Toxic Avenger” the true test of whether Blair has the proper vision worthy of sitting in the director’s chair.  After viewing the film, it’s evident that Blair succeeded in his task.  Blair delivered a suitable balance that combines the surreal and satirical B-movie presentation with some of Hollywood’s modern narrative tricks, such as its mildly dark tone.  Although the film isn’t without its flaws, such as its occasional pacing issues, I was mostly impressed with everything else Blair had accomplished.  While the film is a bit darker than its predecessors, it didn’t take itself too seriously, as Blair embraced the absurdity of its nature while retaining the edge typical of most superhero reboots.  The humor is undeniably silly, and some of its elements defy logic, but that’s basically what made “The Toxic Avenger” enjoyable in the first place.  It’s downright ridiculous and violent, yet also suitably rewarding in how fun these elements are, flaws and all.  Of course, Blair also deserved credit for his commitment to practical effects, particularly for the Toxic Avenger costume and gore.  There were a few instances of CGI thrown in there, which may not be as effective as the authentic effects, but they didn’t detract from the grotesque beauty of the film’s cheap B-movie appeal.

The cast also did pretty well with their performances, particularly given the film’s intentionally cheesy style.  Peter Dinklage assumes the role of the mutilated superhero, previously portrayed by Mitch Cohen and Mark Torgl, with a fresh perspective.  Dinklage’s Winston Gooze shares some similar traits with Melvin Ferd, such as social awkwardness and working as a janitor, but he’s portrayed more as a struggling father figure rather than a mere retread of Melvin.  This distinction allowed Dinklage to showcase his comedic and often heartfelt talents in a superhero movie.  The result is another entertaining turn for the actor, as Dinklage provided plenty of chuckles and charismatic flair to convey Winston’s familial problems and toxic urges.  Jacob Tremblay was also all right as Wade, though there were some occasions where his delivery felt somewhat weak.  As much as I enjoy him in his other works, I was initially doubtful about Kevin Bacon as the film’s antagonist, Bob Garbinger, but he managed to prove me wrong.  Bob is another villain who’s despicably evil due to his selfish desires, and Bacon was able to convey that corny, wicked personality effectively through his compelling performance.  Elijah Wood, nearly unrecognizable, was also decent as Bob’s younger brother, whose facial design looks as if he could pass off as the son of Danny DeVito’s Penguin from “Batman Returns”.

Overall, “The Toxic Avenger” washes away the toxicity to deliver an undeniably absurd and delightfully violent reboot that revitalizes the franchise’s B-movie charm for the modern age.  It may lack much else to elevate its traditional superhero narrative and iffy pacing, but Macon Blair fully embraces its quirky charisma through both direction and screenplay to accompany its surprising amount of heart within its hideously gory yet satisfying core.  It’s clear that the film is not going to impress everyone, particularly due to its extreme concept, much like the 1984 cult classic that has both repulsed and entertained viewers over the years.  However, those who have endured the original will likely be impressed with the franchise’s grotesque yet entertaining superhero reboot, which is truly deserving of the mutated vigilante’s cinematic comeback.    

B