The Toxic Avenger
A bullied mop boy becomes a grotesque superhero who cleans up Tromaville with toxic-fueled vengeance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- campy
- irreverent
- manic
- cult movie night
- grindhouse marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film an uninhibited, ribald superhero spoof whose grotesque humor and cult charm coexist with sloppy exploitation excess.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Melvin's immersion in toxic waste produces the practical-effects transformation into the Toxic Avenger.
The Toxic Avenger becomes Tromaville's protector against thugs, corruption, and indifference.
The film's maniacal farce, gore, stunts, and comic superhero premise define its cult tone.
The toxic-waste accident and Tromaville's corruption connect ecological harm with the emergence of its avenging protector.
Films like The Toxic Avenger, and why
Class of Nuke 'Em High
low-budget splatter comedy combining grotesque practical effects, outrageous humor, and vigilante revenge
Street Trash
cult exploitation filmmaking with absurd comedy, graphic gore, and subversive social satire
Deadpool
comic-book violence, grotesque transformation, and irreverent superhero parody
Movie Details
- Directors
- Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz
- Release Date
- 1984-05-15
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (693)
Cast
- Andree Maranda
- Mitch Cohen
- Jennifer Prichard
- Cindy Manion
- Robert Prichard
- Gary Schneider
- Pat Ryan
- Mark Torgl
- Dick Martinsen
- Chris Liano
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Troma NOW, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Toxic Avenger about?
- A bullied mop boy becomes a grotesque superhero who cleans up Tromaville with toxic-fueled vengeance.
- What is The Toxic Avenger like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Toxic Avenger as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Toxic Avenger violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Toxic Avenger as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Toxic Avenger?
- Critics broadly find the film an uninhibited, ribald superhero spoof whose grotesque humor and cult charm coexist with sloppy exploitation excess.
- Which films are like The Toxic Avenger?
- Films with a similar feel include Class of Nuke 'Em High, Street Trash, and Deadpool.
- How long is The Toxic Avenger?
- The Toxic Avenger runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Toxic Avenger?
- In United States, The Toxic Avenger streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Troma NOW, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
In Ember's collections
Movies like The Toxic Avenger
- Return to... Return to Nuke 'Em High aka Vol. 22017
- WolfCop2014
- Kick-Ass2010
- Poultrygeist II: Dawn of the Chicken Dead2026
- Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid1994
- The Toxic Avenger Unrated2025
- Swamp Thing1982
- The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie1989
- Terror Firmer1999
- Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 12013
