The Life of Chuck Movie Review

“The Life of Chuck” was not what I expected. It was entirely uncommon, towards the good. A rare experience, I hope to go through again soon. ​

Director Mike Flanagan is most proficient at creating a good horror film, which can hardly be argued, but with this, he’s showing his flair for the theatrical. He directed films such as “The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and Stephen King’s “Gerald’s Game.” He doesn’t want to get pigeonholeed as only a horror director, so he takes on this lovely project, the perfect script to change that from happening, despite the name of the man who wrote it. Makes sense since King doesn’t always write horror. When he gets deeply dramatic, he brings out some of his best work, such as “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile.” As King did, Flanagan has now proven himself capable of pulling his audience into an intense storyline sans blood anywhere in sight.

Something has happened to the planet. We learn this through some characters discussing the death of the internet, famine, storms, floods, chunks of California crumbling away, and the disappearance of the bees. Of course, some of these are happening now, not just in some fictional timeline, so it’s a tad difficult to stomach when mentioned. The bees. We need the bees to pollinate our food-growing regions… or there will be nothing to eat. Honestly, this is the horror element in the film, which isn’t tricky to spot. It’s all being talked about as if it’ll blow over, but I assure you the end will go out with a bang, not a whimper.

It was adapted from a Stephen King novella. Someone finally put this marvelous story on the screen. It had depth I appreciated, particularly how it was structured and presented. The story is about the three main chapters of Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz’s (Hiddleston) life, starting with the last and working its way to Act One. These stages we go through are not always pleasant. Of course not. Life isn’t perfect. What can you do?

Flanagan isn’t trying to filter out what we see going on. The movie can be harsh. In this film, the beauty and the dread of things wash over us equally, but we must control things lest life tilts the wrong direction, and we lose control.

We’re shown an old Carl Sagan clip from the ’70s or ’80s. Within, he examines the “Cosmic Calendar.” Suppose the Big Bang took place on January 1st at midnight. In that case, the universe has been around so long that humans come along in late December. Knowing the calendar the way we do, does that mean we’re almost done? Think deeply about it afterward, and just enjoy the film. But! Do pay attention because what the story is ultimately about is that you contain multitudes. It asks, is what’s between your ears not just a brain but the universe itself? It is for you, but are you everything to everyone? Where do you fit into the grand scheme of things?

Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” drives home a point the writer wanted to make. Flanagen handles it well. The universe contains YOU as it does everything else. You contain multitudes, are special, and have the right to be seen that way. Isn’t this what we all want, or is it just what life is? The us. The me. The I. “I will live my life until my life runs out.” Are you doing this, or are you helping someone live theirs? Get into that cupola and leave that door wide open! Do we all see what we want, or must we look with less anxious eyes and see what’s actually there?

The performances were absorbing and emotional. It was good to see Matthew Lillard again. He was ideal in his role, as was Nick Offerman, in his, as the narrator. This film is thought-provoking, and while digesting, you’ll realize you just witnessed what will be talked about for a long time. Aside from the dance sequence, that is. To put it bluntly, “The Life of Chuck” stays with you. The best way to handle your need is to walk back into the theater, watch it again, and see what you may have missed. The yarn is a poem about life and an ode to death. Though unlikely, the plot is conceivable, making it a fun mystery to ride along on. I highly recommend you see it this weekend so you can take that journey with Chuck as your guide.