The Life of Chuck

Grade: A

Who is Chuck Krantz? Why are there vague signs, posters, billboards, and the like plastered all over town with his picture, thanking him for “39 great years?” That’s what everyone is wondering about and trying to figure out in Act Three of The Life of Chuck. This is actually the first act we are shown. The movie is broken up into thirds, and presented in reverse chronological order. The Life of Chuck began its life as a novella by Stephen King – one of four that appeared in a collection called “If It Bleeds,” released in April 2020. Director Mike Flanagan is no stranger to bringing King’s stories to the silver screen. His previous credits include Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and his upcoming projects include a Carrie remake.

The Life of Chuck isn’t one of King’s horror works. It’s a reflective, introspective character study more in line with his Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile. Act Three has an apocalyptic, sci-fi element like The Stand, The Tommyknockers, or Under the Dome. In this act, we’re not sure what, but SOMETHING is happening. Natural disasters  abound. Roads and highways literally become parking lots as people abandon their cars and walk home, if they make it. Worst of all, the internet is down.

We meet numerous characters (including all-too-brief appearances from Matthew Lillard and David Dastmalchian), but our main players here are schoolteacher Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor from 12 Years a Slave) who is still friendly with his ex-wife Felicia (Karen Gillan – Nebula from the MCU). They, along with various other townspeople, navigate a new normal. All the while, signage is all over the place with a picture of this Chuck guy who nobody knows, but is being thanked for 39 great years. This sequence has some breathtaking cinematography. It cuts to black as Marty is in the middle of saying an oft-used phrase, and then we move on to…

Act Two. We finally meet Chuck, played by Tom Hiddleston (Loki from the MCU).  Something happens in this segment that is fun, thrilling, original, energetic, and surprisingly beautiful. I felt like I was witnessing what will become the next iconic, classic movie scene. I can picture this being referenced, parodied, recreated (maybe at the Oscars?), and otherwise talked about for years to come. 

Act Three takes us back to Chuck’s childhood. The whole movie, from the beginning, had felt Spielbergian, but here’s where it calls upon his work – particularly The Fabelmans – the most. We get to know Chuck as a child – with school, home life, puppy love, and the usual stuff. As Chuck’s grandfather, I’ve never seen Mark Hamill better – including those obscure space movies he did.

Amazingly, everything is explained and makes sense by the end. The Life of Chuck is as grand and cinematic as possible without being too much so. The cinematography is some of the best I’ve seen. A recurring theme in the score sounds distractingly like the German national anthem (“Deutschland, Deutschland über alles…”), but it just adds to the memorable quirkiness. I can’t wait for the world to meet Chuck. He contains multitudes.

Grade: A