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The Toxic Avenger

The Toxic Avenger

The hero we need now.

2023102 minRMidcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Director
Macon Blair
Starring
Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis

When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Toxic Avenger?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Toxic Avenger streaming on Midnight Pulp via Prime Video, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video and Screambox via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Toxic Avenger?

The Toxic Avenger earns 3 badges, led by Star-studded and Award Winner.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Toxic Avenger worth watching?

The Toxic Avenger's Midcredits score is the 39th percentile of all films, from 98K ratings across 5 sources. 39% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

39th percentile

Better received than 39% of films

55th percentile among Action40th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)42nd
Approval (how many liked it)36th

59 /100

42nd percentile of all films

58th percentile among Action44th percentile among 2020s

Critics 65 · Audience 59

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.0 — solid but not unanimous.

39% liked it

36th percentile of all films

51st percentile among Action38th percentile among 2020s
39% rated it 7–1061% rated it 1–6

Critics 86% · Audience 80%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 4 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

97th percentile

98K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 20% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$1.7M
Domestic gross$2.9M
Worldwide gross$3.5M

47th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a knowingly campy, self-aware B-movie that aims for over-the-top gore and silliness with a heart.

Fans praised

  • knows exactly what it is and commits to silly campy B-movie tone
  • over-the-top gore and violence with practical effects
  • Peter Dinklage brings heart and dramatic weight to Winston

Detractors panned

  • too sanitized and politically correct versus original's offensive anarchy
  • CGI gore looks cheap and distracting compared to practical splatter
  • Peter Dinklage wrong fit as Toxie and not actually in the suit

What stands out

ActingDivisive60

Dinklage sincere but mismatch with suit; Bacon and Wood relish hamminess; cast uneven

CharactersDivisive55

Winston has relatable underdog arc; villains cartoonish; Wood underused

Effects and spectacleDivisive45

Over-the-top gore, but over-reliance on unconvincing CGI instead of practical

HumorDivisive45

Self-aware campy jokes divide audience; many deem it unfunny and forced

Plot and storyDivisive45

Simple origin with corporate greed and father-son stakes; clichéd and disjointed

DialogueDivisive45

Self-aware campy lines land for fans; forced and unfunny for detractors

OriginalityDivisive40

Fresh take on premise but derivative and missing original's anarchic spirit

PacingDivisive40

Slow first act, picks up after transformation; uneven momentum

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Toxic Avenger like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be scared.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseAbsurdCathartic
Heaviest: throughout
Dark humor
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsExuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its absurd, gory material with a knowing, campy sincerity—embracing the over-the-top premise and heartfelt father-son bond without winking at the audience.
The rideThe film maintains a tense, absurd, and violent register most of the runtime, with cathartic release at the end as the hero prevails and the family bond is affirmed.
StructureThe story follows a straightforward chronological arc: Winston's ordinary life, his transformation into Toxie, and his final confrontation with the villains.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you entertained by its gleeful carnage and campy humour, but also warmed by the hopeful resolution of Winston and Wade's father-son bond.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% (this title) · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Redemption: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeWinston, a desperate janitor, is murdered by corporate thugs and reborn as a mutant hero seeking vengeance, but his journey is ultimately about redeeming himself as a father and protecting his community from the corrupt corporation that destroyed his life.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsJustice · 13% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe core theme is Winston's struggle to be accepted as a father to Wade, set against a backdrop of corporate corruption and his own monstrous transformation.
StanceThe film celebrates family bonds and the triumph of a working-class hero over a corrupt system, with stakes that affect the local community.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernRockSupportive music · original score
SettingSt. Roma's Village, a small town dominated by a corrupt pharmaceutical company
MusicThe score likely blends orchestral elements with rock to match the film's campy, action-driven tone.

Content guide

Is The Toxic Avenger okay for kids?

R

The Toxic Avenger is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, sexual references and brief graphic nudity” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (82/100), sexual content at intense (61/100), language at severe (86/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (55/100) and frightening material at moderate (58/100). Overall it is heavier than 77% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 15 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany18
  • Ireland16
  • New ZealandR16
  • Argentina+16
  • Belgium16
  • CL14
  • ID17+
  • Israel18
  • PRR
  • Russia18+
  • Spain16
  • Switzerland16
  • TH18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 86% of all filmsHeavier than 77% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 68%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 76%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 85%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 42%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Toxic Avenger have?

MovieCove's classifier found 3 depicted content warnings in The Toxic Avenger: Gore or body horror (severe), Gun violence (severe), Addiction or relapse (mild). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorGun violence
MildAddiction or relapse

Cast and crew

Who is in The Toxic Avenger?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Peter Dinklage
as Winston
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jacob Tremblay
as Wade (The Kid)
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Taylour Paige
as J.J. Doherty (The Wild Card)
Julia Davis
as Kissy Sturnevan (His Associate)
Jonny Coyne
as Thad Barkabus (The Big Boss)
Elijah Wood
as Fritz Garbinger (His Creepy Brother)
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kevin Bacon
as Bob Garbinger (The Villain)
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
David Yow
as Guthrie Stockins (The Wise Hobo)
Sarah Niles
as Mayor Togar
Shaun Dooley
as Mel Ferd (The Crusading Reporter)

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Toxic Avenger?

Movies like The Toxic Avenger include The Toxic Avenger (1984), The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989) and Super Fuzz (1980). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Lloyd Kaufman, and most are sci-fi films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: superhero. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with The Toxic Avenger?

569 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: origin story. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.