The Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award was given to “The Life of Chuck,” a Stephen King adaptation directed by Mike Flanagan. The award was announced as the festival came to a close. “The Life of Chuck” is based on King’s novella from 2020 and features Tom Hiddleston in the lead role. The film follows Charles “Chuck” Krantz, an ordinary man navigating through apocalyptic events. Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Jacob Tremblay also star in the movie.
Winning TIFF’s People’s Choice Award is often seen as a predictor for Oscar nominations. Since 2012, every winner of this prestigious prize has gone on to receive a best picture nomination at the Academy Awards. However, it remains uncertain whether “The Life of Chuck” will continue this trend since it is currently up for sale and does not have distribution yet. It could potentially be released this fall or delayed until 2025.
Despite receiving mixed reviews at TIFF, with mostly positive feedback, audiences were clearly captivated by the uplifting drama portrayed in “The Life of Chuck.” The film resonated with festival attendees who voted for it to win the People’s Choice Award.
Two films that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May were runners-up for the People’s Choice Award: Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” and Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Additionally, Mike Downie’s documentary “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal” received the audience award for top documentary at TIFF. In the Midnight Madness section of the festival, Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, took home the prize.
