Like many elements of popular culture, horror is cyclical. In the same way that perms and LPs and short shorts are making a comeback, the horror genre has been knee deep in nostalgia for a while, reviving classic franchises and revisiting the distinctive aesthetics of the 1980s and, increasingly, the 1990s. Series like Stranger Things have leaned heavily into the Amblin-style sci-fi adventure formula: largely family-friendly but tinged with darker, horror-infused elements. Although made for contemporary audiences, the recent Scream, Halloween and I Know What You Did Last Summer reboots indicate not only a resurgence of interest in slasher movie, but once again a desire to revisit the cinematic language of that era. However, not every corner of horror history has been so thoroughly excavated. Some subgenres remain largely untouched. Take Troma, for example. Known for its ultra-low-budget, deliberately provocative B-movies packed with crude humour, gratuitous gore, nudity, and anarchic satire, the studio’s heyday feels long past. When was the last time we got one of THOSE films, huh? Well, now, is the answer to that question – with Macon Blair’s reimagining of Troma’s 1984 cult hit The Toxic Avenger now playing in (some) cinemas.

 

Peter Dinklage stars as Winston Gooze, a man barely keeping it together. Recently widowed, he’s doing his best to raise his emotionally fragile stepson Wade (Jacob Tremblay) in a harsh and indifferent world. Winston works as a janitor at BTH, a corrupt pharmaceutical giant that has its mucky paws everywhere within St Roma's Village, where Winston resides. The pay is low, but the job comes with health insurance - something he sorely needs when he’s diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disease and given only months to live. However, as it turns out, his insurance is worthless. Desperate, Winston crashes an awards gala to plead his case directly to BTH’s CEO, the gleefully villainous Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon). When that leads to nothing, he hatches a plan to break into his workplace and steal sacks full of cash. However, the heist doesn’t go according to plan (obviously) and he is discovered by Garbinger’s henchmen (headed up by Elijah Wood who looks like he’s cosplaying as The Penguin). Winston is killed and dumped into a pit of toxic waste. But death is only the beginning. Winston is reborn as a toxic freak with superhuman strength and a glowing mop. With the help of J.J (Taylour Paige), a feisty journalist who’s had her targets set on BTH for a while, the two of them set about trying to get even…

 

It's fair to say the 1984 Toxic Avenger, directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman is pure trash. It’s undeniably entertaining and provocative but it has no real aspirations beyond providing lots of shock and gore. It’s self-aware, sure - but wasn’t too fussed about giving us anything but the usual Troma formula. Now, I know that the word ‘elevated’ gets thrown around a lot these days and is rightfully cringed at whenever it is mentioned by most genre fans. But what we have here is effectively an elevated reimagining of the original. Which, after watching 90 minutes of arms being ripped off, skulls torn open and various other forms of viscera, may seem like a bold claim. Macon Blair’s update is full of gore, profanity and crude humour but it knows exactly what it is and does its best to inject some feels to it (god we loathe to use that word) as well as some semblance of social commentary. Yeah, it’s all over-the-top gonzo nonsense but just like Toxie himself, there’s a heart beating somewhere underneath all the green slime. And while the budget is modest by Hollywood standards, the production values and on-screen talent are worlds beyond what the original filmmakers could have dreamed of.

 

So is it elevated in terms of production and ambition? Absolutely. In terms of quality and entertainment? To a point. It’s not without its issues. The film’s tonal shifts and abrasive style won’t be to everyone’s taste, and the filmmakers seem fully aware of that. The mix of slapstick, satire, and splatter remains rooted in B-movie tradition, and the humour is hit-or-miss. For every gag that lands, a couple more don’t. Which is fine, but it’s a shame that the writing isn’t quite as sharp as it could be. There are several moments of violence that are laugh-out-loud funny and a smattering of genuinely humorous moments; such as the inappropriate drilling going on outside while a doctor (Sunil Patel) is delivering a diagnosis to a patient. But you can’t help feel that it could and should all be a little funnier.

 

Peter Dinklage is as watchable as ever although interestingly, once he goes all toxic, his role is limited to the vocals as Luisa Guerreiro, an actress and movement artist, takes over the physical side of things. She does a bloody good job actually – you might not even suspect that Dinklage isn’t the one under 3 inches of latex and make up. Kevin Bacon is doing his cartoonish Kevin Bacon thing but Jacob Tremblay’s character is somewhat underused and underdeveloped. Which is a bit of a shame when you’ve got an actor at talented as that involved. Taylour Paige's JJ adds a sprinkling of sass to it all though, which is welcome.

 

The Toxic Avenger was rather shockingly made over four years ago and had its premiere back in 2023. It’s taken this long to reach general audiences because no buyer was forthcoming and that’s probably down to the fact it’s a bit of a tricky pitch to mainstream audiences. They’re less likely to enjoy this that’s for sure. But if you got anything out of the original Troma movies and/or like your superhero films a bit messed up then you could do worse.​​