“The Life of Chuck contains multitudes of joy, with this Stephen King adaptation being Mike Flanagan's most heartwarming film yet.”
- Incredible ensemble cast
- Layered, heartfelt story
- Empowering, thought-provoking themes
- Beautiful visuals and music
- Terrific dance numbers
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Writer-director Mike Flanagan has touched the stars with his uplifting sci-fi drama film, The Life of Chuck. Based on a novella by author Stephen King, this movie follows the life of accountant Charles Krantz, who was orphaned as a child and raised by his grandparents, up until his death. However, his demise ultimately leads to the end of the world itself, with billboards and advertisements of him appearing out of nowhere, thanking him for his life in an unusual version of the apocalypse.
Both King and Flanagan are known for their many contributions to the horror genre. However, after successfully adapting some of King’s scariest stories, including Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, Flanagan made another exemplary film with The Life of Chuck that marks a bold and beautiful first step into more traditional drama. With profound themes, a heartfelt story, and an ensemble of incredible performances, The Life of Chuck further established Flanagan as a master of filmmaking while showcasing his range as a storyteller.
The stars aligned with the film’s cast
For this star-studded odyssey, Mike Flanagan assembles his massive family of frequent collaborators, led by newcomer Tom Hiddleston. The latter steals the show with what little time he has on-screen as the 39-year-old Chuck, particularly with his beautiful, heart-pounding dance number with his equally vibrant co-star, Annalise Basso. Benjamin Pajak shines just as bright as the young Chuck. In the spitting image of Hiddleston, Pajak captivates viewers with his charming and nuanced performance, as well as his killer dance moves, hinting at a promising acting career on the horizon.
As an ensemble film, The Life of Chuck features stellar performances from just about every actor. Karen Gillan and Chiwetel Ejiofor hold up the first act as the fearful, star-crossed lovers who find each other again at the world’s end. Mark Hamill, Samantha Sloyan, and Kate Siegel bring love and warmth to the third act as Chuck’s childhood mentors. Even actors Jacob Tremblay, Carl Lumbly, Matthew Lillard, and David Dastmalchian work wonders in only one or two scenes in this film. While he doesn’t appear on-screen, Nick Offerman breathes life into the film with a voiceover narration that evokes more of his folksy charm and humor. With Offerman lending his vocals to tell the story, The Life of Chuck makes its viewer feel like they’re reading King’s novella on the big screen.
The story presents a beautiful portrait of the apocalypse
Since Mike Flanagan made a name for himself creating horror, the director does dabble in it a bit with the apocalypse in The Life of Chuck. Specifically, the scene of the world ending to the distorted sound of The Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin'” is arguably one of the most haunting scenes in any of Flanagan’s works. However, at the center of all of the director’s scary stories was sincere human drama, which he successfully put on full display in The Life of Chuck. The first act of The Life of Chuck is a heartfelt story filled with love and existential dread as people come to terms with the apocalypse, which is presented with several images of natural disasters on the news that feel just as prevalent in the real world.
Despite its dark “ending,” The Life of Chuck injects enough heart and humor into the story to present a beautiful and compelling portrait of life and its inevitable end. The portrait itself is rich and vibrant, not just because of Eben Bolter’s cinematography or The Newton Brothers’ musical score. The world of the film feels remarkably real as each of the supporting characters is given a detailed backstory in very little time, thanks mostly to Offerman’s narration. Likewise, Flanagan delivers his trademark brand of vivid, layered monologues in the script, taking discussions about math and rain and injecting them with so much emotion and symbolism that the writing is a work of art in itself.
The film explores the beauty and terror of life and death
While The Life of Chuck is more of a drama, like some of King’s other stories, The Life of Chuck depicts some cosmic horror in small-town America in the form of the cupola at the top of Albie’s Victorian house. With it, the film explores the terror of death as a constant of life. Whether death comes from a universal apocalypse or from a brain tumor, the film shows how the scariest part is knowing you are destined to die and having to wait for it all to end at some unknown time.
The Life of Chuck also stands out as a coming-of-age film with the way it explores Chuck’s life in reverse as he goes from a dying accountant to a gifted, wide-eyed dancer. Many audiences can relate to Chuck’s experiences growing up, as they may feel like they’re forced to abandon their dreams and conform to the structure of civilization by working boring desk jobs. While the protagonist’s life seems like a frightening tragedy in the film, Chuck counters the terror and sorrow with a powerful validation of his existence as he embraces his life with a dance in his step, leaving the film on an inspiring high note.
Is The Life of Chuck worth a watch?
The Life of Chuck is one of Mike Flanagan’s best films and one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever. But overall, the film is a cinematic glimmer of hope that people desperately need right now. While the world may seem like it’s circling the drain these days, this will remind audiences of the joy and beauty that still exist in a cinematic celebration of life. The Life of Chuck quickly builds a vibrant universe filled with hope and love, and despite its ending, the film goes out with a bang, not a whimper. Thanks, Chuck!
The Life of Chuck is now playing in theaters.
