{
  "id": 4442107,
  "title": "‘Women can be toxic too’: Benedict Garrett explains psychological themes in Yash’s Toxic",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/women-can-be-toxic-too-benedict-garrett-explains-psychological-themes",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-30T14:34:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/benedict-garrett-explains-psychological-themes-in-yash-film-toxic-10855807/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "British actor Benedict Garrett, who portrays Pedro in the film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, has offered a comprehensive, introspective critique of the movie following his first theatrical viewing. In an Instagram video, Garrett revealed he watched the film with no preconceived notions, despite being a part of the cast, as he hadn't been fully briefed on the story. He noted that while he anticipated action, violence, and explicit content, he isn't typically drawn to action films. Garrett's primary contention is that audiences are misinterpreting Toxic due to its departure from conventional action blockbusters. He emphasized the crucial role of its tagline, \"A fairy tale for grown-ups,\" as the cornerstone for understanding the film's intended meaning. According to Garrett, the film is not a realistic narrative, but rather a departure from traditional Indian cinema, embodying elements of fairy tales, including masks, clowns, violence, sexuality, and colonialism. Once viewers grasp the fairy-tale framework, many aspects of the film become clear, revealing the toxicity inherent in the world we inhabit and the choices we make due to past traumas. Garrett viewed Toxic primarily as a psychological exploration rather than an action-oriented film. He highlighted the character's inherited trauma, psychosis, and the toxic environment that shapes him, stressing that toxicity is not exclusive to men but also present in women, making us all products of and participants in the inherited world around us. He dismissed criticisms about the dialogue, explaining that it isn't meant to be realistic but rather serves as a fairy-tale device, using exaggerated expressions to highlight the broader themes. Garrett praised director Geetu Mohandas for challenging the norm and presenting a film that went beyond mere audience-pleasing fare. He expressed deep respect for Mohandas, acknowledging the director's bold choice to break away from conventional storytelling and the profound impact it had on him. Garrett commended Yash and the entire cast for allowing him to contribute to such an unconventional project. He concluded by comparing the polarized reactions to Toxic to a favorable sign of its quality, asserting that a film that either incites strong love or hatred has likely achieved a high level of artistic success.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Toxic: Yash, Geetu Mohandas’ crime thriller becomes the very monster it set out to destroy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/toxic-yash-geetu-mohandas-crime-thriller-becomes-the-very-monster-it",
        "published": "2026-08-30T01:51:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}