The Toxic Avenger (2023) | Film Review
- Adam Williams
- Dec 14, 2025
- 4 min read
For anyone who knows what Troma are renowned for, their films are not sleek, stylish or box office popcorn flicks. They are incredibly tongue in cheek, unbelievably gross, both crude and crass in equal measure, absurd, ridiculous, outrageous, overly melodramatic and will proudly display gratuitous gore, violence and nudity like a badge of honor. And I’m happy to say this follows suit- it’s typically Troma.
A horrible toxic accident transforms downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze into a new evolution of hero: the Toxic Avenger.
The story follows Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), a janitor working at BTH, struggling to navigate life with his stepson following the death of his wife Shelley the previous year. After being diagnosed with a rare (and unknown) brain disease, and getting stiffed by his insurance company, he decides to rob his place of work. Whilst doing so he’s inadvertently killed and thrown into a vat of toxic waste. And thus, The Toxic Avenger is born! After becoming a social outcast due to his appearance, he decides to use his newfound abilities to take down slimy criminals and a corrupt CEO.
It's straightforward story wise, although the first act drags a little compared to the rest of the film. There’s a lot of humor throughout, some I will admit I thought missed, but there were other moments I was crying with laughter. It leans into the utter absurdity and ridiculousness of the entire situation and has fun with doing so. As I said above, the whole thing is overly melodramatic and often played as straight as cancer, which only adds to the enjoyment.
Few scenes I really enjoyed- the Miss Meat scene where we get to see Toxie in action the first time. Any scene with Winston visiting Dr. Walla (Sunil Patal). Toxie with The Wise Hobo. The transformation scene: it was sort of like The Joker’s origin in Burton’s 1989 Batman if they mixed it with psychedelics. The Killer Nutz concert; I’ll be honest this one was mainly cos I wasn’t that big a fan- they just wound me up, so this scene was incredibly satisfying to watch, and the unmasking scene that followed was hilarious. And finally, the fight scene during the end- absolute carnage and chaos!
Despite the themes and messages tackled with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face, it doesn’t diminish the film and includes a surprising amount of sincere heart and positivity. It’s what really saves it from pure chaos to be honest. Beneath the slime, blood, bones, toxic sludge and corporate satire, it’s about protecting your own, standing up to greed and corruption and (most importantly) beating bad people with household cleaning equipment. It's all quite touching really...
Whilst this remake keeps the main concepts of the original 1984 film, I’d say this is a modernised, slightly more polished version. Just think of it as a B-Movie with money- looks and feels the same but the cast are better and there’s more money for gore, gore, insane special effects, other disgusting shit and more gore.
Also, in keeping with the brilliance that is Troma this film is gross. Like, proudly and unapologetically gross! Limbs get ripped off, faces get melted, scalping, electrocution, cannibalism, disembowelment and heads exploding just to mention a few. And if that doesn’t sell you, the film also includes a ‘Toxic Golden Shower’. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I’m on about, if you haven’t…you’re in for a treat- depending on how you look at that. Overall, if you’re squeamish, man up or give it a miss. If you’re a splatter fan with a love for practical special effects, you’ll be in your element here.
The Toxic Avenger (2023) | Film Review
Cast were a joy to watch; I really got the feeling they enjoyed making this one. Julia Davis was great fun and played unhinged well, was great seeing her in a bigger role as well. Most UK fans will remember her from her hilarious role as Dawn in sitcom Gavin & Stacey. Kevin Bacon is clearly having the time of his life as the slimy corporate villain, chewing scenery with reckless abandon, whilst Eljah Wood delivers a solid performance as one of the film’s most peculiar characters. And if you were thinking, “Jesus it looks like Frodo kept hold of the ring!”, then don’t worry as I was doing the same.
Peter Dinklage brings genuine warmth and wit to Winston, making him far more likeable than a glowing pile of toxic muscle has any right to be. But I think in part that credit should also go to actress Luisa Guerreiro who gave Toxie a real physical presence. Beneath all the prosthetics, her performance sells the character’s weight, movement, and oddly endearing body language.
Jacob Tremblay was another treat to watch delivering a performance that’s genuinely sweet without tipping into annoying. He added a real heart to the story, whilst acting as another reminder why we’re rooting for Toxie. Taylour Paige was equally great and brought a much-needed grounding to the chaos. She gave J.J. real attitude and emotional weight.
Is it perfect? No…but it truly finds its feet after Toxie comes into the picture. It’s stupid, gratuitous, vomit inducing, messy, funny and (at times) brilliant. I’m all for it, and part of me is hoping for a sequel. The Toxic Avenger is the kind of a film that will look you dead in the eyes, hand you a mop dripping with the finest of BTH’s radioactive sludge, and tell you, “Don’t ask questions, just enjoy.”
Go into this film with this mentality and you’ll have an absolute blast.
Huge thank you to Signature Entertainment for the Blu-ray. You can check out more info on them and their upcoming releases via their WEBSITE.
The Toxic Avenger is out now on digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. You can check out the film’s trailer below.
