“Extreme”
“Gruesome”
“Unreleasable”

These words, among others, have been used to describe Macon Blair’s adaptation The Toxic Avenger, along with the film’s tumultuous journey to the big screen. The popularity of the horror genre, however, hasn’t wavered; leading to studios and distributors making big, ambitious swings. The hit success of Terrifier 3 certainly helped The Toxic Avenger find a home, along with a “carte blanche” decision to release it “unrated” in the United States. Although, Canada had no problem issuing the film a rating – 18A in Ontario to be specific, which is the equivalent to the U.S’ R-rating.

This film’s past is important to state because, for starters, it’s fun to reflect on how a wild ‘n wacky movie like The Toxic Avenger is now screening in the same cinemas that hosted karaoke parties for KPop Demon Hunters. But also, this history plays into how The Toxic Avenger may have accidentally oversold itself. Is the film nasty and off-the-wall? Yes, but it’s also arriving to a party of people who are tough to phase or shock; especially fresh off of Terrifier 3. That said, Blair’s contemporary horror-comedy is still faithful to the trashy allure of Troma’s crown jewel, while also giving it a fresh and funny appeal that allows it to stand on its own legs.

These accomplishments are certainly inspired by Macon Blair and his confidence to make slimy spectacles out of simple concepts, especially considering he previously wrote and directed Netflix’s gritty and bizarrely comedic thriller I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. His sophomore feature shows that he isn’t afraid to lean into challenges. While the efforts may be briefly off-putting at first, he’s fully aware that the reward is worth it.

I’m also being deliberately sneaky about discussing what happens in The Toxic Avenger. Knowing that the movie is essentially critic-proof considering how the film is geared towards Troma-heads and people who have already ran a curious search on how gross the movie is, I wouldn’t dare ruin anything for that crowd. Those movie goers just want a “yes” or “no” if they should attend this goofy live-action cartoon and, sometimes, it’s okay to merely leave it at that.

So, you sickos, here you go:

“Yes.”
“Hard yes.”
“Releasable”

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie