In a turn of events at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, “The Life of Chuck”, featuring Tom Hiddleston, emerged as the unexpected victor of the prestigious audience award. The drama, which is an adaptation of a Stephen King novella and was directed by Mike Flanagan, managed to outshine more prominent contenders, despite entering the festival without a distributor.
Helmed by Flanagan, known for his adaptations of King’s works such as “Doctor Sleep” and “Gerald’s Game”, as well as the acclaimed Netflix series “The Haunting of Hill House”, the film’s narrative follows the life of an accountant in a genre-defying tale. Alongside Hiddleston, the cast boasts notable performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan.
Critics have had varied responses to the film’s tone and content. It has been described in reviews as both endearingly heartfelt and unsettlingly eerie, a combination that marks a departure from Flanagan’s typically more horror-centric adaptations of King’s stories.
Stephen King himself expressed his delight over the film’s success at the festival, lavishing praise on Flanagan and his ensemble of actors for their achievement as the festival’s “dark horse”.
Historically, the audience award at Toronto has been a bellwether for the Oscars, with previous winners like “Green Book” and “La La Land” going on to gain nominations and wins at the Academy Awards. This year’s first and second runners-up at Toronto were the crime musical comedy “Emilia Pérez”, directed by Jacques Audiard, and Sean Baker’s “Anora”, a comedy-drama about a sex worker, respectively.
Other notable mentions from the festival include “The Substance”, a horror film led by Demi Moore that triumphed in the Midnight Madness section, and the documentary award winner “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal”.
This year’s awards season follows closely on the heels of the Venice Film Festival, where Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door” clinched the Golden Lion, marking his first foray into English-language cinema.
News Team
