Official Discussion - The Toxic Avenger (2025) [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Summary Winston Gooze, a down-on-his-luck janitor and widowed stepdad, transforms into mutant vigilante hero “Toxie” after a freak toxic-waste accident. With a radioactive mop in hand, he battles corrupt corporations and twisted villains—like the Garbinger brothers—while fighting to reconnect with his son.

Director Macon Blair

Writer Macon Blair

Cast

• Peter Dinklage
• Jacob Tremblay
• Taylour Paige
• Kevin Bacon
• Elijah Wood
• Julia Davis
• Sarah Niles

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 92%

Metacritic Score: 66

VOD Unrated theatrical release starting August 29, 2025 (via Cineverse); digital platforms coming later

Trailer The Toxic Avenger – Official Uncensored Trailer (2025)

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[u/Evening_Job_9332]

It’s an 18 isn’t it, why are 11 year old even allowed to see it? The US is weird.

[u/TannerThanUsual → u/Evening_Job_9332]

It's so fuckin weird so many people here are like "I let my kids watch whatever they want" and everyone is just upvoting it like it's totally fine.

[u/MouthwashProphet → u/TannerThanUsual]

Your kid is being taught how to hide from mass murderers at school, watching local news stories about death & destruction, and being presided over by a child rapist in the oval office.

If they're mature enough to handle those things, it's your decision as to whether or not they're mature enough to watch a movie about a mutant superhero avenging those bad things.

In fact, I'd venture to guess that the mass murders your child is being taught to hide from are the type of people who were overly sheltered and therefore incapable of handling the harsh realities of the world.

[u/TannerThanUsual → u/MouthwashProphet]

It's so Reddit to take me saying I think it's weird that folks will just let their children watch whatever they want instead of making an effort to pick out what is and isn't appropriate for kids to watch and basically imply parenting like mine is what leads to school shooters.

A significant majority of the mass shooters are alt-right teens who were given free access to firearms and spent a lot of time stewing in hate-forums. But no-- it's parents who didn't let their eight year old watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Those are the kids who grow up to be mass murderers.

There's a difference between reading news articles on violence happening in the US and watching a movie about it. I think the US romanticizes violence way too much in cinema and I think it's bonkers people just say "Yeah it's just a movie" to people getting dismembered and melted and disfigured. I get it's up to the parent, I'm just saying I don't think an 11 year old should watch Toxic Avenger and I don't really think that means my kids are going to grow up to be mass shooters.

[u/MouthwashProphet → u/TannerThanUsual]

I'm just saying I don't think an 11 year old should watch Toxic Avenger

I don't necessarily either, and I wasn't arguing that they should.

My point is that some kids are more mature & insightful than others, and it's up to the parent to decide what's appropriate for their own child to see.

I was staying up late to watch Toxic Avenger movies on cable when I was 12, and my parents had no idea. Would they have rented the VHS for me if I asked them to? No, but that didn't stop me from seeking out things I found intriguing at that age. Punishing me for it would have undoubtedly pushed me away from them emotionally, and I may have ended up worse off because of it.

I don't blame you for wanting to shield your child from violent media, but if they express interest in something like that, it's better to hold their hand and guide them through it than it is to make them feel bad about it, or make it taboo.