The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) concluded on Sunday with a modest yet impactful awards ceremony, setting the stage for the upcoming Oscar race. The festival’s top honor, the People’s Choice Award, was awarded to Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, positioning it as a strong contender for the awards season ahead.
The Life of Chuck is a cinematic adaptation of Stephen King's story, blending science fiction with a heartfelt, and at times humorous, personal drama. Tom Hiddleston stars in the lead role as Chuck Krantz, a Jewish accountant with a passion for dance. Jacob Tremblay portrays Chuck in his youth, while Mark Hamill and Mia Sara play his grandparents.
The film also features performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan. Flanagan, known for his success in the horror genre, has previously adapted King’s works for the big screen, including Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game. With The Life of Chuck, he steers away from horror, instead focusing on drama and emotion.
The Life of Chuck was chosen ahead of Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, in second place, and Sean Baker’s Anora, which placed third.
In the festival’s Midnight Madness category, the horror film The Substance, directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, won the People's Choice Award for genre cinema. In the documentary category, Mike Downie's The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, which chronicles the Canadian band The Tragically Hip and its frontman Gord Downie, took home the audience award. Notably, the documentary competition also included The Bibi Files, a much-discussed film by Alexis Bloom and producer Alex Gibney.