The Life of Chuck Review

Directed By: Mike Flanagan
Written By: Mike Flanagan; Based on the short story by Stephen King
Runtime: 111 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated R for language.

Tom Hiddleston – Charles “Chuck” Krantz
Benjamin Pajek – Young Chuck Krantz
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Marty Anderson
Karen Gillan – Felicia Gordon
Mia Sara – Sarah Krantz
Mark Hamill – Albie Krantz
Taylor Gordon – Drummer
Annalise Basso – Janice
Carl Lumbly – Sam Yarborough
David Dastmalchian – Josh
Harvey Guillén – Hector
Matthew Lillard – Gus
Q’orianka Kilcher – Ginny
Trinity Jo-Li Bliss – Cat McCoy
Samantha Sloyan – Miss Rohrbacher
Kate Siegel – Miss Richards
Molly C. Quinn – Chuck’s Mother
Jacob Tremblay – Teenage Chuck Krantz
Nick Offerman – The Narrator

Mike Flanagan steps outside of his usual comfort zone for horror-themed fare with a decidedly poignant rumination about life and what it all means, in The Life of Chuck. Flanagan delivers a solid, albeit unspectacular, effort in adapting the Stephen King novella of the same name to the screen. The magical realism of the opening act makes more sense later in the film, rewarding viewers for paying attention to the subtle clues Flanagan plants throughout the cinematic experience.

In adapting King’s Novella, Flanagan stages a non-linear narrative that does not become clear until later in the story. The story is divided into individual chapters, starting with Act 3. The early chapter concerns a teacher, Marty Anderson (Ejiofor), observing what appears to be the apocalypse, with the Earth seemingly on its last legs. Through the process, Marty reconnects with his wife, Felicia Gordon (Gillan), a nurse, as they try to make sense of the chaos around them. With cosmic forces apparently about to permanently flick the switch on the universe, Marty observes mysterious billboards of the suited Chuck Krantz (Hiddleston), thanking him for 39 good years.

The second act depicts the mild-mannered accountant, Chuck Krantz, suddenly finding the urge to dance to the beat of a street drummer (Gordon), eventually picking out the enthusiastic Janice (Basso) from the crowd to join them. Their boisterous dance then draws a large crowd. The sequence captures the creation of a magical, spontaneous moment and a core memory. Flanagan’s adaptation concerns those little moments in our lives that make life worth living.

It’s the final chapter, “Act I,” where Flanagan finally finds the meat of the story, showcasing the childhood years of young Chuck (Pajek) after he moves in with his grandparents, Sarah (Sara) and Albie (Hamill) Krantz, following the tragic death of his parents who die in a car accident. Flanagan tracks Chuck’s seminal moments and core memories that continually resonate throughout his life. The strange, slightly supernatural, and metaphysical aspect comes from a locked room at the top of the stairs of the Krantzes’ Victorian home. Albie refuses to allow Chuck to enter the turret because the room holds a dark secret.

Flanagan delivers a workmanlike effort with The Life of Chuck. The reverse, unfolding narrative is an intriguing choice, adding a layer of mystery to the rest of the feature. However, it never quite lands the emotional impact that it desires. The first two acts are interesting, but the story doesn’t truly gain its footing until the first act, which happens in the second half, showcasing Chuck’s youth and upbringing with his grandparents. “Act I” is where the story finally unfolds and takes shape, offering a glimpse at the key moments in Chuck’s childhood.

The casting of Hiddleston as the adult Chuck constitutes a missed opportunity. It would have been interesting to see more scenes of Chuck growing up to become Hiddleston, viewing how the character adjusts to adulthood, marriage, and becoming a father. The “Buskers Forever” chapter serves its purpose, but the film leaves a desire to see more of Hiddleston exploring life as Chuck.

The movie’s chief problem comes through the overstated narration by Nick Offerman. It’s not that the narration is terrible, and Offerman utilizes his trademark, memorably unique voice that one can instantly point out just by listening to him recite a few lines. However, the film’s insistence on using a narrator sounds rather dull and pointless. Offerman’s narration only overstates the obvious rather than properly underscoring the narrative. It’s not that Offerman’s narration ruins the film, but it fails to enhance the experience. The use of an omniscient narrator in the film becomes completely superfluous.

Mark Hamill delivers a standout performance as Chuck’s melancholy grandfather, Albie Krantz. It’s nice to see Hamill enter what appears to be a fun character actor phase of his career, which will hopefully continue. Hamill exudes sincerity and genuine sadness with his performance. He’s a kind man who understands the fragility and finite resource of time, but even in his sternest moments, he exhibits compassion and sage wisdom to his grandson. It’s a fine performance. Young Pajek performs extremely well, portraying the younger Chuck, showing strong confidence and wisdom beyond his years in the most important chapter.

The Life of Chuck provides a solid viewing experience, and Flanagan does fairly well directing and writing a story outside his usual genres. The plot has its issues and plays out in a somewhat choppy manner, but once it settles into the third and final act, it inspires undeniably poignant, bittersweet emotions. However, the film takes a while to get there, which is dissimilar from Chuck’s spirited dance moves.

The Life of Chuck will be released in select cities on June 6, followed by a wide release on June 13.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Mike Flanagan delivers a relatively solid workmanlike effort with The Life of Chuck. The supernatural, metaphysical elements are present but only incidental to the rest of the slice-of-life story. That said, although the final chapter is the strongest, the movie takes a while until it finally finds its footing. It's interesting, but the rest of the film does not quite garner the emotional impact that the story implies. Also, superfluous narration by Nick Offerman tends to overstate the obvious, becoming rather dull. Flanagan decently adapts a story outside his typical style, but does not quite hit a homerun.