No one else can make me question my existence like Mike Flanagan. From the Haunting of Hill House to Midnight Mass and Doctor Sleep, no one else captures our gift of mortality like him. So in his adaptation of the Stephen King short story, The Life of Chuck, death is its thematic center. Yet, instead of being a horrifying exploration of existence, it is a warm hug telling you that everything will be okay.
Told in a reverse three-act structure, we follow the life of Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) from his deathbed to his childhood. The first act or should I say act three, follows Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Felicia (Karen Gillan) as they come to terms that the world is ending and the apocalypse has arrived. However, instead of exploring the horrors of the apocalypse, The Life of Chuck chooses a quiet, melancholic exploration of the inevitability of death and how waiting is the hardest part of death.
The second act follows Chuck in his daily mundane life. He aspired to be a dancer, but life got in the way and now he works as an accountant. Yet, in a moment of spontaneity he begins dancing like nobody’s watching while on his way home from work. Thus giving one of the most crowd pleasing and feel good moments from TIFF.
While in the final, or should I say act one, follows Chuck in adolescence after he moves in with his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara) after his parents died. We come of age with Chuck as he navigates his grief, adolescence, and his curiosity with the mysterious room upstairs that is haunted by ghosts.
The beauty of The Life of Chuck lies in its simplicity. This is not the first time that Flanagan has adapted Stephen King, but it is the first time he has done work outside of the horror genre. And the results are astonishing. He proves yet again that he is the only filmmaker in Hollywood besides Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist) who understands King. His screenplay, direction, and editing are cinematic perfection for setting up his stories that are heavy with exposition and non-linear storytelling. And if you are familiar with Flanagan, you know this is where Flanagan is at his strongest. While this might turn some viewers off, the reverse story structure works wonders in The Life of Chuck. Each act gives you a little glimpse into Chuck’s life and when it finally comes together in the final moments of the film, it is cathartic. It is a warm hug telling you that everything will be okay in the end.
As per usual, Mike Flanagan continues to create some incredible ensembles, filled with many familiar and new faces to the Flanagan Universe. And as to be expected, this ensemble delivered with each actor given a scene stealing moment with their beautiful monologues. The first act is wonderfully led by Karen Gillan and Chiwetel Ejifor as they face the end together. Together they are accompanied by Matthew Lillard who gives a scene stealing performance. The second act is the only act where Tom Hiddleston is present, and despite having very limited screen time, he gives you a dance performance that you won’t forget. While the final act is led by rising actor Benjamin Pajak as Chuck with Mark Hamill and Mia Sara being his grandparents. Pajak makes a splash with his debut as Chuck, but it is Mark Hamill who steals the show as he gives one of the best performances of his career.
My only disappointment with The Life of Chuck is its released date, which is set for the summer of 2025. Given it won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, it was destined to get a Best Picture nomination, especially since this year’s race is wide open. If released this year, it easily would have been nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay with a good chance of winning, Best Supporting Actor for Mark Hamill, Best Editing and Best Score. However, given its summer release date, it will not be eligible for this year’s Oscars. So it will have to compete next year and we shall see what next year’s Oscar slate looks like. It would be ashamed to see the film get snubbed because it deserves at least a screenplay nomination, especially given the Television Academy snubbing Flanagan for the past five years.
Overall, The Life of Chuck is another masterpiece from Mike Flanagan, who continues to prove that he is one of the best filmmakers in Hollywood. It is a perfect crowd pleaser that will pull you heartstrings as well as question your existence. I highly recommend it as Mark Hamill managed to convince the audience that math is fun.
My Rating: A
Coming to Theaters Next Summer
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