The Life of Chuck

Review by Ryan Michael Painter

Author Stephen King and director Mike Flanagan are primarily known for their work within the horror genre. The Life of Chuck is an outlier, a drama sprinkled with a bit of magic realism, fantasy, and a touch of the supernatural.  You could, however, make the argument that this is more terrifying than the ideas contained within and of King or Flanagan’s conventional horror stories.

110 Minutes, Rated R

Written by Mike Flanagan, Stephen King

Directed by Mike Flanagan

Synopsis:

From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes THE LIFE OF CHUCK, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. This powerful tale celebrates the life of Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.

The Life of Chuck is told in three parts. It isn’t linear. It has no interest in being linear. It isn’t exactly backwards either. I imagine it is a story that sprung from a mathematical equation or scientific theory that calls into question the idea of life and time being linear.

Don’t let that scare you. At its heart, this is a film that is smaller than the ideas that may have inspired it. It is, for a moment, a story about people dealing with the end of times. Then, for a longer moment, it is a story about a singular person’s relationship with life and death on a far more intimate level.

Again, in case I’ve mislead you, this isn’t a film that demands that its audience overthink what it is seeing. It is, however, a film that asks the audience to feel. And once the audience feels, they can think about what that feeling means to them as an individual.

I’m afraid this sounds conceptional. Like some self-indulgent garbage. You know, mental masturbation for intellectuals who would be better off having a conversation rather than trying to define what a conversation is. Again, The Life of Chuck isn’t that kind of film.

It is, at times, a dark comedy. It is absurd in the sense that humankind is absurd. It is also a celebration of spontaneity, taking risks, a real tug of war between following dreams while navigating the harder truths. It is a film that doesn’t keep its feet on the ground. It does, however, suggest that you, as its audience, consider keeping your feet on the ground. Well, at least one foot. Maybe just a toe or two.

I’d recommend not trying to untangle it. I was tempted for a moment to consider the significance of the young girl on roller skates. I stopped myself. Later, after a second of third viewing, I can consider what exists beneath the strange, wonderful magic. For now, I won’t be distracted. Because there are some fantastic performances to be enjoyed. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan are great. David Dastmalchian steals his scene. How wonderful is it to have Mia Sara on the screen again? Has Mark Hamill ever been better? Watching Tom Hiddleston and Annalise Basso dance is a pure delight. Benjamin Pajak is new to me. He’s certainly someone to watch.

To be clear, I’m not saying that the structure and the details don’t matter. I’m merely suggesting that you initially resist the temptation to nail down the meaning. Initially, be more attentive to how the film makes you feel.

Oh, and if you find the colorful language offensive. Please, forgive and forget that it is there. A few words shouldn’t keep you from experiencing this little wonder of a film.

The Life of Chuck opens in select theaters on June 6 and expands nationwide on June 13 and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Annalise Basso, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, David Dastmalchian, and Benjamin Pajak.

And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.

Please don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW us on:

• Facebook (@vsmoviepodcast)
• X (@vsmoviepodcast)
• Instagram (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast)
• Threads (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast)
• YouTube (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast)
• Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our audio wherever you listen to podcasts(https://shows.acast.com/vsmoviepodcast)

And please, if you like what we do, consider helping us keep on entertaining you. You can use this handy link: