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The Toxic Avenger

Play trailer Poster for The Toxic Avenger R 1985 1h 22m Horror Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
73% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A 98-pound nerd (Mark Torgl) from New Jersey lands in a vat of toxic waste and becomes a benevolent monster (Mitchell Cohen).
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The Toxic Avenger

The Toxic Avenger

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Critics Consensus

A silly and ribald superhero spoof, Toxic Avenger uninhibited humor hits more than it misses.

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Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Mar 28, 2007
Cruddy, primal, extremely violent, and fairly entertaining, it captures some of the snot-flicking spirit of the old EC comics. Go to Full Review
Variety Mar 28, 2007
An outlandish mix of gory violence and realistic special effects. Go to Full Review
Geoff Andrew Time Out Feb 9, 2006
It all falls apart after an hour, chunks of the preceding entertainment reappearing as random montages. Go to Full Review
Charlotte Simmons The Treatment (Substack) Nov 8, 2025
There’s no diplomacy to be found here; the film knows it needn’t play with the specifics of the corruption amalgam or otherwise mythologize the villainy of the system; it trusts the audience enough to not be corpo-worshipping morons. Go to Full Review
Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast Sep 1, 2025
4/5
A film that revels in bad taste, but it's got such a big heart and goofy sense of humor that it's difficult not to be won over by its charms. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Oct 28, 2023
3/4
It sports a frenzied and freewheeling attitude that none of the follow-ups were able to recapture. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ian S @FuggyWugginshyre 3 days ago Classic over-the-top, campy, goodness. Fun the whole way through. See more Aidai T @ayiii 3 days ago I think the Toxic Avenger was a weird but entertaining movie. It had a lot of violence and ridiculous scenes, but that made it fun to watch. I liked seeing Melvin change from someone who was bullied into a person who fights back and helps others. The movie also showed problems like pollution and people abusing their power. It is not a movie everyone would like, but I enjoyed how over-the-top it was. See more Mariann F @MariannK 4 days ago Definitely weird! but entertaining. What made the movie different is how it mixes horror, comedy, and a lot of violence. Some scenes were honestly stupid but i think that is what made the film entertaining enough to continue the watch. I noticed how the movie made fun of people who bully others and act like their shit dont smell either and i personally love that. For someone who has been bullied all their life and still ongoing to my current age, it wouldnt sound to bad seeing others bully the people who bully me and others as well. See more Derrick S @Hoggo Aug 6, 2026 A gem of a movie! The script, acting, directing, plot, and special effects are all atrocious. It’s awesome! A great watch. See more Squirt R. @Squirt_Reynolds Jun 24, 2026 Blood, gore, nudity, slurs, big monsters ripping people apart. What more can a man ask for? See more Bubba G @Malcolmstheory93 Jun 7, 2026 Very entertaining movie. If gore doesn't bother you, you'll have an amazing time watching this. The cheesy over the top acting and the wacky story are top notch. See more Read all reviews
The Toxic Avenger

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Movie Info

Synopsis A 98-pound nerd (Mark Torgl) from New Jersey lands in a vat of toxic waste and becomes a benevolent monster (Mitchell Cohen).
Director
Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman
Producer
Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman
Screenwriter
Lloyd Kaufman, Joe Ritter
Distributor
Troma Films, Lightning Video, Cinepix Film Propertes Inc., Creative Axa Co. Ltd. [jp], Beam Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Troma Entertainment Inc.
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 11, 1985, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 21, 2015
Runtime
1h 22m
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