Taika Waititi’s satire, Jojo Rabbit, has won the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto Film Fest.
The win makes the film a stronger candidate for a potential Oscar run and bolsters its awards chances with other critics groups.
Fox Searchlight must have been disappointed by the lackluster critical reception for the movie, a dark comedy set in the waning days of the Nazi Empire. Reviewers faulted the picture for delivering satire without the sting, for being too conventional, with most agreeing that Jojo Rabbit had stumbled out of the gate.
Nonetheless, Toronto’s top prize has predictive powers when it comes to selecting future Oscar winners.
Last year’s winner, Green Book, went on to capture the Best Picture Oscar.
Previous victors include “La La Land,” “Room,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” and “The Imitation Game,” all of which later scored with Oscar voters and other awards bodies.
That track record has also helped to position the festival as a key stop for awards season hopefuls.
