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'No Other Choice' wins inaugural International People's Choice Award at TIFF

Published: 15 Sep. 2025, 12:04

Director Park Chan-wook speaks in a prerecorded message as ″No Other Choice″ wins the 2025 TIFF International People's Choice Award during the Toronto International Film Festival's awards ceremony in Toronto on Sept. 14. [AP/YONHAP]

Park Chan-wook's satirical thriller "No Other Choice" has won the International People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), organizers said Sunday.

The newly established award is voted by audiences for the most popular feature film outside North America. TIFF's highest honor, the People's Choice Award, which is often seen as a major Oscar predictor, went to Chloe Zhao's "Hamnet."

Adapted from the mystery novel "The Ax" by American writer Donald E. Westlake, "No Other Choice" is a dark comedy following Man-soo, a middle-aged man who, after being abruptly fired from a paper company, takes extreme measures to secure a new job by dealing with his competitors.

As of Monday, the Korean film holds a perfect 100 percent score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 38 reviews, which have lauded the film's blend of dark humor and social commentary.

The film's lead actor Lee Byung-hun was also honored at the festival, receiving the Special Tribute Award and becoming the first Korean actor to be recognized with the honor.

"No Other Choice," which had its North America premiere at the festival as a gala presentation, is set to open the 30th Busan International Film Festival, which will run from Sept. 17 to 26.

Yonhap