The Toxic Avenger 4K 2023

There are films that clearly don't try to please everyone. Toxic Avenger falls into this category. It doesn't play by the usual rules of superhero movies, where the hero must undergo a journey of self-discovery and save the world amid a blaze of special effects. Here, the logic is different. It is a chaotic cocktail of grotesque, bloody trash, satire, and unexpected humanity, mixed with irony and boldness.

The first impression is that the film deliberately takes the viewer out of their comfort zone. The scenes of violence are taken to the point of absurdity; the blood here is not frightening, but rather becomes part of the carnival. Irony and black humor permeate the dialogues, and social commentary is hidden somewhere between the lines. It seems as if the creators are deliberately showing: yes, we know this is trash, but this is how we want to convey our message to you.
The main character, Winston Goose, played by Peter Dinklage, is captivating precisely because of his contradictions. He is at once pitiful and great, ridiculous and tragic. Watching this “little man” face injustice and then literally turn into a monster is like seeing a story where weakness becomes a source of strength. Dinklage's performance is subtle: his gaze and movements convey that the character never ceases to be human, even in his ugly shell.

At first glance, the plot is simple. But simplicity here is not a flaw, but a framework within which one can afford to do a lot. Behind the outward absurdity lie questions that are close to everyone's heart: how to deal with one's own vulnerability, how to cope with the cruelty of others, and what will happen if one day you give free rein to your pent-up anger.

Visually, the film is also built on contrasts. On the one hand, there are practical effects, reminiscent of the 80s and 90s; on the other, there is modern CGI, which adds greater brightness. Instead of a “polished” picture, the viewer is given an eclectic mix where the old and the new collide and reinforce each other. It is not “beautiful” in the usual sense, but it remains in the memory for a long time.

The humor deserves a separate discussion. It is dark, sometimes on the edge, sometimes beyond it. In some places, the authors clearly hold back, and in others, they go so far that the audience laughs, mixed with a slight shock. And that's exactly why the film is worth appreciating: it allows you to experience emotions that have long been erased into a template in mainstream blockbusters.

The ending leaves a feeling of strange balance. It's as if you've watched an absurd comedy about a mutant, but you leave the theater with the feeling that you've seen a story about resistance, about a person's right to exist and have a voice, no matter how “inferior” they may seem to those around them.

Verdict: Toxic Avenger is not a film for everyone. It is deliberately crude, noisy, and at times excessive. But that is precisely where its strength lies. It is a film with character that is not ashamed of its strangeness. It is best to watch it in company so that you can laugh and marvel together—because the audience's reaction plays no less a role here than the story itself.