The Toxic Avenger
Directed by Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz6.273%63%6.3
In Tromaville, the toxic waste capital of America, a bullied young janitor in a popular gym falls into a vat of toxic waste. He turns into a super strong disfigured man, and begins cleaning up the streets from evildoers.
The Toxic Avenger Ratings & Reviews
- MrTrivetFebruary 10, 2026The Toxic Avenger is pure cinematic kitsch and bad taste pushed to a level where laughter becomes the only sensible response. The film is so dumb, clumsy, and technically inept that it starts operating by its own rules. It is a bad movie, but one that is fully aware of its own badness, which has earned it cult status and positioned it as one of the pillars of the cinematic pantheon of kitsch. The story centers on a local YMCA and its regulars, portrayed as caricatures of the sadistic teenagers well known from 1980s genre cinema. As a result of constant humiliation and abuse, the protagonist ends up submerged in a vaguely defined toxic substance that grotesquely deforms his body while granting him superhuman strength and, amusingly, a sense of social agency. The Toxic Avenger crudely mocks popular genres, though the spirit of exploitation cinema remains dominant throughout. Its extreme caricature of clichés and shameless violence deliver a repulsive yet satisfying dose of camp. This is a manifesto of bad taste and a rule-free film - a charmingly grotesque cinematic mutant that entertains precisely through its absurdity.
- AlanFebruary 9, 2026By far the best movie ever made. Kids heads crushed… dirty girls take photos to pleasure themselves to… than Toxie cleans up
- Shamus2kMarch 19, 2025High up to column of so bad it's good.
- David2PlayNovember 21, 2025Dumb in a good way
- Hugo EbreyOctober 26, 2025This movie is a Realy good action movie. The fights show of the total strength of the character as he is only damaged once when hit in the nuts. The group action scenes are well choreographed and the gory dead body props are very well made and realistic. But the comedy is somewhat lacking. The only scene that actually got a chuckle out of me was the end where they rip out the mayors guts (that’s not the funny bit) and instead of being traumatised or horrified the bystanders start cheering like it’s their birthday. The movie definitely stays in your head with the boy on the bike scene. Overall if you’re looking for an action movie with lots of gore, I’d definitely recommend.
- JaredXIIIOctober 19, 2025I did not think I was going to like this movie-- I was WONDERFULLY MISTAKEN! This movie is an amazing piece of indie filmmaking and can't believe I took so long to watch it! This movie is so quick paced, and insanely fun, but also earnest and heartwarming. You can tell that this movie was made by people who enjoyed making it!
- Theodore Wesley Graham IIIAugust 9, 2025It is so bad its good. I didn't make it through the opening credits before I said out loud, "this is so 80s it hurts." Worth the watch for the cult classic but also kinda enjoyable in a weird way.
- fraggle67August 29, 2025The first film to set the bar for what a Troma film should represent. Poor taste with 0% political correctness yet a message delivered with gross-out humor and the occasional bare bosoms. This film alone had 2 scenes that had audiences walking out of theaters upon its release. A 12-year-old boy is purposely run over multiple times, ending with his demise, and a dog is shot on screen. What is now a cult classic, was..upon release, an absolute bomb.
- RichardOctober 18, 2025This is the radioactive blueprint of Troma madness, crude, chaotic and proudly offensive. Melvin the mop boy’s transformation into a sludge soaked vigilante is equal parts revenge fantasy and grotesque satire. It’s not just low-budget, it’s anti-budget and that’s part of its charm. The film gleefully crosses every line: cartoonish violence, politically incorrect gags and scenes so tasteless they became legend. A kid gets run over, a dog gets shot and audiences walked out in droves. But for those who stayed? A cult classic was born. It’s the kind of movie that feels like it was made in a basement with leftover props and a punk rock attitude. The gore is bargain bin brilliant, the humor is aggressively juvenile and the message, however buried under slime, is one of outsider justice. Tromaville’s evildoers don’t stand a chance. If you love your cinema loud, lewd and laced with toxic waste, this is the original sludge-soaked anthem. No apologies, no restraint, just pure mutant mayhem.
- sierragioJanuary 18, 2025A modern hero in a tutu . Got to love it!
The Toxic Avenger Trivia
The Toxic Avenger was released on May 15, 1984.
The Toxic Avenger was directed by Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz.
The Toxic Avenger has a runtime of 82m.
The Toxic Avenger was produced by Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman.
In Tromaville, the toxic waste capital of America, a bullied young janitor in a popular gym falls into a vat of toxic waste. He turns into a super strong disfigured man, and begins cleaning up the streets from evildoers.
The key characters in The Toxic Avenger are Sara (Andree Maranda), The Toxic Avenger (Mitch Cohen), Wanda (Jennifer Prichard).
The Toxic Avenger is rated R.
The Toxic Avenger is a Comedy, Science Fiction, Action film.
The Toxic Avenger has an audience rating of 6.3 out of 10.
The Toxic Avenger had a budget of $500K.
The Toxic Avenger has made $800K at the box office.