The Man From Toronto is Patrick Hughes’ newest action comedy. Known for The Hitman’s Bodyguard movies, Hughes has once again brought two comedy greats, Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson, together in a new action packed adventure.
The Man From Toronto follows Teddy who is trying (Kevin Hart) as he is mistaken for the infamous assassin The Man From Toronto (Woody Harrelson) while at an Air BnB with his wife. Teddy is forced to help the FBI attempt to stop an assassination, but the actual Man From Toronto finds him. Teddy is then forced to work with the actual Man From Toronto if he has any hope of surviving this insanity.
PATRICK HUGHES REVEALS THE INFLUENCES OF CLASSIC WESTERNS ON THE MAN FROM TORONTO
The Illuminerdi had the opportunity to speak with the director Patrick Hughes about his new movie The Man From Toronto. Patrick Hughes explained how all action movies are rooted in classic Westerns, but he reveals specifically how The Man From Toronto takes inspiration from some of these classic Westerns.
“I said from the beginning, it should be a Western. Because, it touches on, it’s a drifting angel archetype. And that’s, all action films came from the Western genre. A lot of people are probably not aware of that. Younger audiences aren’t. But the drifting angel, when you take something like Shane or High Noon.
It’s the guy that comes into town, who doesn’t have a name. And he becomes the savior. And I like that notion. So I really leaned into the Western. That’s why we have an opening that happens out in the desert. Instead of a horse, he’s got a 69 Dodge Charger. So we really gave him this mystical look. When you watch the film, you’ll see the subtle references to the Western genre.”
The Western influences are clear throughout The Man From Toronto including the titular character’s look and the Charger standing in for his steed. This mysterious stranger or “drifting angel” archetype adds to the mystery of The Man From Toronto. Patrick Hughes also talked about the chemistry between stars Woody Harrelson and Kevin Hart. He praised the work ethic of both actors and his relief that the pair had such amazing chemistry.
They are. They are indeed. That’s actually one of the most, it’s, because, I really love the buddy action, comedy genre. And I’ve been a huge fan of it forever. But it really hinges on the chemistry. And that’s something that, in pre-production, I was talking with Kevin and Woody separately. Because they were both in different parts of the world, shooting different movies.
And it’s really not until you get them on screen together, if you know if that chemistry’s going to be there or not. And as soon as we called action on the first take with them on screen, we just knew we had a movie. So that was a huge relief. Because otherwise, you got to feel like you’re trying to force this chemistry. But they really are chalk and cheese, in terms of their personality type. So they really, It’s just a beautiful combination to watch. A lot of fun.
Patrick Hughes’ love for the buddy cop style of comedy shine through in his movies notable The Hitman’s Bodyguard and The Man From Toronto. The chemistry between Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson jumps off the screen with Kevin Hart perfectly embodying the hilarity of a regular guy over his head in the insane world of assassins and criminals. Patrick Hughes love for action, comedy duos, and Westerns elevates the story into an exciting layered action comedy.
The Man From Toronto is available now on Netflix. Are you excited to watch The Man From Toronto? Are you a fan of Westerns? Can you spot the influences of classic Westerns in The Man From Toronto? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more The Man From Toronto.
KEEP READING: THE MAN FROM TORONTO DIRECTOR DREAMS OF A CROSSOVER WITH THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
