When it comes to surprises, it seems that Hulu is full of them as last 2025’s “best superhero movie of the year” arrived on the platform almost unannounced. That movie would be Macon Blair’s reboot of The Toxic Avenger, and with just a day’s notice, the film followed up its theatrical and digital release success with an immediate impact on the streaming charts.
The Toxic Avenger was a movie that seemed destined to never see the light of day, taking almost two years to secure a theatrical release after its premiere, and almost falling off the radar before being distributed by Cineverse, who were also behind the release of Terrifier 3. After being hailed as a “cult sensation,” and “the summer’s most entertaining superhero film,” despite being released in the same year as Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the movie, the film’s limited release pulled in a box office of $3.4 million.
The Toxic Avenger starred Peter Dinklage in the titular role, while the unexpectedly beefed up cast also included Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon, Julia Davis, Jacob Tremblay, Jonny Coyne, and Taylour Paige. The synopsis of the movie reads:
“When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.”
‘The Toxic Avenger’ Is Now a Huge Hit on Streaming
With so little exposure in cinemas and little marketing for its VOD release, there are many horror fans that will now be able to watch the film as part of their Hulu subscription. It is clear that this is exactly what has happened, as the movie has jumped straight to the top of the streaming chart in less than two days since its release.
When The Toxic Avenger received its premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2023, the film scored near-perfect scores from critics. When the film landed its wider release in September 2025, the film’s score ended up on an 87% Tomatometer score, which is incredible considering the extremely gory and silly premise and execution of the film in true homage to the best of Troma Studios.
Many reviewers marveled at Blair’s ability to “up the tech values and add a recognizable cast without sacrificing the original’s ick factor.” The movie’s unrated release meant that what hit cinemas was a “darkly comic, ultra-violent, genre extravaganza” that audiences also hailed as a “super, fun, bloody, bizarre, and silly” film that had to be seen to be believed…in the best way.
Naturally, some didn’t get the film at all, with several one-star reviews slamming The Toxic Avenger as “the worst garbage I’ve ever sat through,” “another movie ruined by Peter Dinklage,” and “like a seventh grader posted a YouTube video.” One reviewer even called it a “graphic, more sh*ttier Batman Returns,” as though that is a bad thing. In the end, The Toxic Avenger was made for certain people, and those people loved it. It’s hard to think Macon Blair lost any sleep about those who didn’t. Now, the film is finally getting the love it deserves on Hulu, and you could do worse than go check it out.
- Release Date
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August 29, 2025
- Runtime
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102 Minutes
- Producers
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Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz, Alex Garcia
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