Adapted from a Stephen King novella of the same name, Mike Flanagan’s LIFE OF CHUCK (2024) is an interesting movie that nails a big theme–that each human consciousness is a universe unto itself, and when that human dies, an entire universe dies with them, though they continue to have a lasting impact on those they leave behind.
The movie begins with Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor, perfectly cast in the role), a lonely schoolteacher struggling to keep his students interested in learning while the world appears to be rapidly ending due to ecological catastrophes. Everyone is giving up. While all this is happening, Marty begins to notice mysterious ads and billboards appearing around town, showing a smiling man in a business suit with the words: 39 GREAT YEARS. THANKS, CHUCK! As things get progressively worse, he seeks out his ex (Karen Gillan), whom he’s still close with, to watch it all end.
This is act one in a three-act story told in reverse chronological order, same as the King story. In the second act, we meet Chuck himself (Tom Hiddleston), understand his illness, and then go back to examine his life back to his childhood when he first learns about death and eventually comes to terms with it.
What I liked: Flanagan lavishes his love for filmmaking and the story in every frame. He’s loyal to the actors he works with, and many of them take part here. Hiddleston has a dance number that is a lot of fun to watch. The film is loaded with feeling and has a big, kinda sappy theme, but it never got saccharine for me. This is a top-notch adaptation.
What I didn’t: I simply didn’t find Chuck a compelling character as an adult, as we barely get to know him. Most of our time is spend on his childhood and adolescence. It’s all pretty enjoyable to watch, but honestly I wished we’d stayed with Marty and kept the odd Chuck appearances mysterious longer. For the short amount of screen time he receives, I really connected with his character and story. I just didn’t find Chuck quite as interesting; a lot of the time we spend with him as an adult is narrated (Nick Offerman), making the story feel detached.
Overall, I liked LIFE OF CHUCK quite a bit. If you’re a Stephen King fan, I think you’ll appreciate how much love Flanagan and his cast pour into adapting this story. Even if you’re not, there’s a lot to admire here.
Leave a Reply