Directed by Mike Flanagan and based on the short story by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck follows the short but extraordinary life story of an ordinary person named Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz as he experiences the reality of mortality, the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
Everyone knows Stephen King for being one of the greatest authors of horror but funnily enough, he is known to also write very special non-horror stories that have made a large impact on the people who have read them or have watched them through beautifully crafted adaptations over the years. One of the most beautiful short stories ever written by Stephen King was The Life of Chuck and I always felt it would have made for a great film if adapted right.
Then comes Mike Flanagan who decides to be the one to adapt this story and needless to say I was immediately excited to see this adaptation since I had full faith in him doing the story justice after making two brilliant adaptations of King’s work in the past. It took a long time for this film to come out but finally after such a long wait I got to see it on the big screen and it was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck is one of the most emotionally moving films of the year and honestly the best Stephen King adaptation that we have had in a long time that isn’t a horror or thriller. It is a hauntingly beautiful film that greatly explores many themes including mortality, memory, human connection, and the appreciation of ordinary life, all delivered under the masterful direction of Mike Flanagan. It’s the kind of film that stays with you long after watching due to how unique and deep it is, as well as feeling like the kind of film everyone needs to see right now due to its important life lessons pulled straight from the source material.
Mike Flanagan assembles one of his largest ensemble casts that he’s had in a while, full of well-known names that all bring their A-game to their respective roles even when they are in the film for a short amount of time. The titular Chuck, played by several actors in the character’s short life span, is considered to be the central character of this story, though the focus is not always entirely on him but instead also focuses on how his life is intertwined with the lives of others, demonstrating the profound impact individuals have on each other no matter how small and the importance of cherishing relationships.
We have three actors who play Chuck in the various eras of his life including Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, and Benjamin Pajak who each give phenomenal performances that make us truly connect with the character on an emotional level despite his eventual fate that is revealed to us from the start due to the story being told in reverse chronological order. Tom Hiddleston beautifully portrays a man full of immense charm, compassion, and optimism. He makes a large impact on the lives of others both in large moments of energy filled joy and smaller moments where he gets to offer some form of wisdom to people in need of it. He didn’t need to be a politician or celebrity to change people’s lives for the better as even the smallest acts of kindness can always lead to something special.
Hiddleston also gets to prove himself to have other talents as well in one of the film’s most memorable moments involving a highly energetic dance number in the second act that is absolutely amazing and plays a crucial part in one of the film’s main themes.
But while Hiddleston was fantastic in the role as expected it was Benjamin Pajak who gets the most amount of screen time as Chuck in his childhood years and was by far the best version of Chuck we get to see in the film. Through his magnificent and magnetic performance we get to connect with the titular character as we witness the highs and lows of his childhood that mold him into the person he would become, and show how he was able to overcome grief and trauma at an early age. Pajak wonderfully portrays the innocent curiosity and perseverance of this version of Chuck as he deals with multiple hurdles in his early life but he also manages to portray the immense energetic joy and beauty of early childhood years that we would see briefly come out of him later as an adult.
Pajak even gets to show off his own dancing skills in some of the most brilliant and adorable dance sequences in the film set in his early childhood that everyone is guaranteed to love. With Benjamin Pajak’s impressive range as a young child actor I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up popping up in more Mike Flanagan projects later on down the road.
Surrounding Chuck in this film are multitudes of supporting performances that each get a chance to shine individually on screen even when some of them have very short amounts of on-screen time, which was shocking given that is not an easy thing to do. With so many major names in a film that isn’t that long you worry about some of them being wasted but I can honestly say none of them ever felt wasted since they all have something to give even in a small amount of time. The most notable standouts for me personally amongst the stacked cast were Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Matthew Lillard, and David Dastmalchian.
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan play Marty Anderson and Felicia Gordon, a formerly married couple that are the main focus of the first act that is set within the midst of an apocalyptic collapse that, like in the short story, is seemingly connected to Chuck. It is through these two in their interactions with each other and other people we get to see a beautiful exploration of human connection at the end of the world, all wonderfully portrayed through their performances that might just be their best work after their time in the MCU. Ejiofor and Gillan have such beautiful chemistry together that you truly believe, making for a heartbreaking yet beautiful subplot as you get to see them find meaning, connect with each other, and appreciate the present moment even amidst chaos and potential disaster.
Also playing a part in the first act is Carl Lumbly as Sam Yarbrough, an elderly mortician Marty encounters who is also later revealed to be connected to Chuck as well. Carl Lumbly is one of those phenomenal actors who is able to make even the smallest roles feel larger than life with both his presence and his soothing voice. He is an immediate warm presence the moment he appears in the film, offering wisdom as well as his own perspective on the current state of the world in an engaging conversation made memorable mostly by him.
Also offering an engaging conversation of his own is Matthew Lillard as Gus Wilfong, Marty’s neighbor, that he has a bleak but honest talk with. We’ve seen Matthew Lillard be comedic or villainous in most of his past roles but this was my first time seeing him in a drama-based role that I was immediately hooked into. All he does is sit down and have a small conversation with Marty and yet for such a simple scene Lillard gives some of the best acting of his career as he goes through a rollercoaster of emotions in order to accept the reality of the current circumstances. This proves that Matthew Lillard deserves to be in more serious roles going forward as he has the talent to do it as shown in his one scene in this film.
Also stealing the spotlight for less than a minute of screen time is David Dastmalchian as Josh, a single father grieving his wife leaving him, that Marty has a brief conversation with. I was not expecting David Dastmalchian to be in this film and despite being in it for a cameo-level amount of time this man was able to deliver so much humor and emotion that makes you immediately love the character and feel immediate sympathy for him for what he is dealing with, which is a testament to how bloody f**king talented he is as an actor.
Within the third act of the film set in Chuck’s childhood the two standouts were Mark Hamill and Mia Sara as Albie Krantz and Sarah Krantz respectively. Mark Hamill has definitely delivered some great performances lately but none to me have ever been able to top his phenomenal acting work in Star Wars: The Last Jedi until this film where he managed deliver such a moving and powerful performance as Chuck’s grandfather. This character offers wisdom, warmth, and small amounts of darkness that are all beautifully balanced and expressed through Mark Hamill hitting a lot of emotional buttons with me as he reminded me very much of my own grandfather.
He truly was incredible in this film, playing a crucial role in Chuck’s early life, alongside his grandmother played by Mia Sara in her first acting role in 12 years after seemingly retiring after 2013. What a comeback role this was for her to take on as the maternal figure that inspires Chuck’s love for music and dance, leading to some of the most joyful moments in Chuck’s life, delivering a vast array of emotions in the process. This is a special role that deserved a special performance and that is exactly what Mia Sara delivers, beautifully making this one of the best performances in her entire career.
Just like the short story it’s based on, the film is told in reverse chronological order, tracing the life of Charles “Chuck” Krantz from his fate to his childhood, highlighting the significance of each moment and the lasting impact of even the smallest interactions. It’s a film that asks us not to just understand the life of one person but the immense power of all lives through love and pain in a story with multitudes of themes. This story confronts the inevitability of death and the potential ending of the universe, it emphasizes the idea that every individual carries a universe of memories within them, it celebrates the beauty of ordinary moments and the significance of everyday experiences while also encouraging audiences to find joy in the little things. These are themes we’ve seen done before in other films of various genres but this film takes them, blends them, and presents them in a unique as well as beautiful fashion that is guaranteed to emotionally move anyone who watches it.
And perhaps the most impressive part of this film aside from its perfect handling of multiple themes is how it was able to pack it all together in a runtime of 1 hour and 51 minutes. With so many deep themes involved in this film that usually take most directors more than an hour to explore in film and television, the fact this film was able to explore these themes in a compelling narrative within such a short amount of time clearly demonstrates how masterful of a director Mike Flanagan is and proves to the runtime obsessed nut jobs on the internet that not every film needs to be 2 or 3 hours long to deliver a masterfully crafted and theme filled film that will impact audiences. It is a perfect adaptation of the original short story that is guaranteed to stay with you long after watching it much like how the source material did for many of us King fans.
In terms of technical elements, this film looks small in terms of scale but feels larger than life with the amount of effort put into the cinematography, the editing, the sound design, the practical sets, and the gorgeous visuals that are in massive abundance throughout this film. Every single frame of this film is beautiful, with shots that absorb you into the story on screen and stay with you mentally, especially when some of them can be quite haunting even from a film that isn’t a horror. I also loved the usage of stars and the cosmos in this film as it not only provides fantastic visuals but also plays into the themes of the film as a whole.
As expected Flanagan brought back his favorite composers, the Newton Brothers, to do the music for this film, and as expected they deliver only the best music for Flanagan, with a score that elevates every single emotional moment of this film. Additionally, this film features music from various artists that play a large part in the vital sequences of the film, including some originals that match with the themes of the film.
This film both lived up to my expectations and vastly exceeded them by delivering one of the most flawless Stephen King adaptations we have ever had. This film should not be overlooked and I encourage everyone to see it as soon as possible as I believe it is an important film that people need to see now more than ever. I’m going to give The Life of Chuck an A+ = 100.
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