With talk of "superhero fatigue" dominating headlines, it's exciting when something different comes along. Thunderbolts* explored mental health and loneliness, Superman rejuvenated the Man of Steel, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps embraced the work of Jack Kirby for a one-of-a-kind 1960s caper. The Toxic Avenger, meanwhile, is a delightfully unhinged experience that proves itself one of 2025's biggest surprises and unlike any superhero blockbuster out there.
The movie follows janitor Winston Gooze, who, diagnosed with a serious health condition caused by the corrupt megacorporation he works for, is transformed into a mutant vigilante after being thrown into a vat of chemicals. Now an unlikely hero, Toxie sets out on a mission of revenge and dispenses brutal justice to criminals while attempting to bond with his stepson. It's a somewhat familiar premise on the surface, albeit one that's enhanced by the vibrant, quirky world created by filmmaker Macon Blair.
With The Toxic Avenger, Blair has created a living, breathing, batshit crazy world which feels wholly real despite being heightened and more than a little weird. It took the MCU several movies to establish what that comic book universe looked like on screen, but The Toxic Avenger does it in minutes. News reports, stylistic set design, and the way Blair embraces the madness of this character ensure that the result is a bombastic, bizarre reboot that does right by this character and should leave you wanting more. It might be too strange for some tastes, but if you allow yourself to be taken along for the ride, then fun is guaranteed to be had.
Peter Dinklage is great as Winston, and really embraces the eccentricity of Toxie's world in a way that makes him a relatable, likeable presence, both early on in the movie and when he later lends his voice to the character. Luisa Guerreiro does excellent work as the performer inside Toxie's suit and deserves a huge amount of credit for the role she plays in making the hero such a joy to watch, cracking heads and tearing off arms, along the way. Together, Dinklage and Guerreiro deliver a pitch-perfect take on the Toxic Avenger.
Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige, and Elijah Wood round out the cast with enjoyable, sometimes peculiar supporting turns, and even the smallest roles are brought to life by top-notch talent like Sarah Niles, Jonny Coyne, and Jane Levy. The highlight, however, might be Julia Davis. The Gavin & Stacy star brings a frenetic energy to her scenes that once again makes it easy to accept and embrace the pure nuttiness of The Toxic Avenger.
Many of you will be coming for the violence, of course, and The Toxic Avenger never shies away from its Troma roots. Jaws are smashed off, brains ooze out of cracked skulls, and...well, let's just say there's a scene with someone's posterior that you won't soon forget. The whole "unrated" label feels more like a gimmick than a necessity, as we've seen much worse in many R-rated movies, and this reboot may have been a little overhyped in that respect. Still, it delivers what many fans will be looking for, and coupled with a fun story (which admittedly breaks little in the way of new ground, but benefits from razor-sharp dialogue and some great gags), this reboot delivers what we'd hoped for.
Compared to Lloyd Kaufman's original, Blair's take on The Toxic Avenger is far more coherent and feels less like a series of random ideas being thrown at the wall to see what sticks. The filmmaker is definitely finding his footing here, with some scenes falling flat, only to be saved moments later by one that's riotously funny. It's a briskly paced tale, though, and one it would be difficult not to have a blast with. While a little surface level, we'd also be remiss not to point out that the movie feels extremely relevant, touching on the damage big companies are doing to the world and the broken health insurance system in America that leaves the people who need help the most without any. That just makes it even easier to root for the affable Winston on this madcap adventure, even when the heads start rolling.
The Toxic Avenger delivers a gloriously demented new take on Toxie and proves to be a delightfully unhinged experience full of violence, hilarious, weird jokes, and even a little bit of heart thrown in for good measure. ⭐⭐⭐⭐