Before I say anything else, I know this film is a remake, and full disclosure, I haven’t seen the original. That being said, I still immensely enjoyed The Toxic Avenger. The piece follows Winston (Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones, The Station Agent), a single father who works as a janitor for an evil corporation, run by Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon, Footloose, Mystic River). When Winston is diagnosed with an unnamed terminal brain illness which his health insurance won’t cover, he attempts to rob his employer. A run-in with some dangerous chemicals, however, mutates him into “The Toxic Avenger,” granting him increased strength, durability and an acidic mop which melts bad guys like a hot knife through butter.
If you’ve seen the trailer for any superhero movie from the past 20 years, you will understand what The Toxic Avenger is parodying. Its sense of humour will be welcomed by fans of Mel Brooks or The Naked Gun films in particular. There are a lot of jokes about the tropes present in superhero/action movies and the picture is more than aware of its absurd premise.
In keeping with the B-movie spirit, it features heaps of bloody violence and gore, which may make this a hard watch for the squeamish. The cast is having a blast the entire run time. Dinklage and Bacon give brilliant performances, as well as Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Sin City), who provides an excellent turn as Garbinger’s younger brother and head of security, Fritzel. Taylour Paige is also a standout as J.J Doherty, a local woman trying to bring down Garbinger and expose his company’s pollution of the city water supply. She matches Dinklage perfectly in every set they share and steals a few scenes for herself.
Overall, is The Toxic Avenger a groundbreaking masterpiece? No. But it really isn’t trying to be. This is a schlocky and wildly entertaining ride that I would highly recommend to any B-movie enthusiast.
The 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival ran from the 14th to 20th August 2025. The Toxic Avenger screened as part of the Midnight Madness strand.
Press image provided by EIFF 2025 for press use.