Frightfest London 2025: ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Review
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, Jacob Tremblay, Luisa Guerreiro, David Yow, Julia Davis, Spencer Wilding | Written by Macon Blair, Lloyd Kaufman, Joe Ritter | Directed by Macon Blair
Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger is finally here, and it arrives as an unapologetically grotesque yet oddly moving revival of one of the strangest cult heroes in cinema. Anchored by Peter Dinklage in a performance that mixes pathos with pure absurdity, this remake manages to both honour its chaotic Troma roots and bring a more human core to the mop-wielding vigilante.
The film introduces us to Winston Gooze, a downtrodden janitor who becomes the deformed but determined Toxic Avenger after a run-in with corporate greed and toxic waste. Where the original leaned almost entirely on camp and shock, this version balances the splatter with surprising emotion. Dinklage makes Winston sympathetic, his struggles with illness and a desperate desire to protect his family giving the character real dramatic weight. Once the transformation hits, he turns that pain into explosive, gory justice and the results are both hilarious and stomach-churning.
The supporting cast is just as memorable. Kevin Bacon relishes his role as a slimeball CEO, playing it larger than life without ever losing menace. Elijah Wood, nearly unrecognisable under grotesque makeup, provides a twitchy, unhinged energy that fits the film’s off-kilter tone. Taylour Paige brings grit and fire as a crusading reporter, while Jacob Tremblay adds unexpected warmth as Winston’s stepson, giving the chaos some much-needed humanity.
Of course, what fans will talk about most is the gore, and this film delivers it in buckets. Practical effects are pushed to delirious extremes: heads pop, limbs fly, and blood sprays in fountains. It’s all done with such gleeful excess that the violence becomes as much comedy as horror, capturing the anarchic energy that made Troma a cult favourite in the first place.
What makes the film stand out, though, is that it isn’t just about shock. Beneath the slime and entrails, there’s a sharp critique of corporate corruption, environmental exploitation, and the struggles of ordinary people crushed by systems bigger than themselves. Blair weaves satire into the chaos, giving the film an unexpected resonance.
That said, this is not a movie for everyone. Its unrated, over-the-top nature will alienate those who prefer polished, mainstream superhero fare. But for viewers who enjoy messy, outrageous, and fearless filmmaking, it’s a riotous throwback that still feels fresh.
In the end, The Toxic Avenger remake is as wild, gory, and silly as anyone could hope, but also surprisingly heartfelt. It’s a midnight movie made with craft, conviction, and a whole lot of slime, and it proves that some cult classics really can be reborn for a new generation.
**** 4/5
The Toxic Avenger screened as part of this year’s London Frightfest. The film comes to UK and Irish cinemas on August 29th.
