Mike Flanagan outdoes himself with ‘The Life of Chuck’

Tom Hiddleston dances in The Life of Chuck. Literally. Based on the short story by Stephen King, this film is a dazzling three-part eulogy for humanity.

Taking great inspiration from Walt Whitman’s words “I contain multitudes” and the Cosmic Calendar theory, The Life of Chuck explores living to your fullest capacity no matter the ending in sight. 

As you’d expect from Mike Flanagan, this work is joyful even in the darker moments. You laugh as much as you cry and you’re spooked just enough to keep paying attention. And you have to pay attention because The Life Of Chuck is full of the smallest details you may think are inconsequential when in reality they pull together the story like the neatest threadwork you’ve ever seen.

I always find it incredible when filmmakers can make short stories work as feature-length films. To expand the brilliant but brief writing into a full-length film can’t be easy but Mike Flanagan makes it look effortless. 

I can’t say that The Life of Chuck is the most profound film I’ve ever seen. The story is simple, the meaning fundamental but in its simplicity is a relaxed charm. You’re there to have a good time and feel like it’s all worthwhile. 

In the opening act, we watch Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) walk through his life at the end of the world. California has broken off from the United States. The fish are dying. Half the globe is on fire. Yet, one man is celebrated against all odds. “Charles Krantz, 39 great years. Thanks, Chuck.”

In this journey of learning more about Chuck (Tom Hiddleston), we see life through his lens as a series of moments that shaped his existence. There are no three ghosts like in A Christmas Carol waiting to sulk and spook through the past, the present, and the future, and we’re not being told just how selfish the patriarch of The House of Usher is. There is brightness and joy in the telling of Charles Krantz’s story, even if he’s faced grief and death at so many points in his life—there was always more to be hopeful for than there was to be sad for. 

All in all, The Life of Chuck felt like a fairytale. It was magical and filled with inventive narrative techniques and motifs. 

Although The Life of Chuck centers around the life of Chuck, he doesn’t necessarily feel like the main character. I was just as invested in the lives of those around him as I was in the main plot. And though this film has an incredible amount of cameos from actors you’ll recognize from past Flanagan works, they don’t come across as “Aha! look who it is.” Every person you meet has meaning and a purpose throughout the life of Chuck. 

After the world premiere at TIFF, the cast appeared on stage for a Q&A. It was delightful to hear from Karen Gillan that Mike Flanagan’s sets are the warmest, most respectful, encouraging sets she’s been on. You can certainly feel his modest and comforting aura through his films and in how he approaches characters with so much empathy—even the most heinous ones. 

Mark Hamill plays Albie, Chuck’s grandfather, and he is truly wonderful in this role. His performance is well-balanced between patriarchal authority, consoling grandfather, and stern accountant with his vices. 

I want to know more about the superb drummer Taylor Gordon, whose moment in the film may be brief but is so poignant and important. She helps shape the heart of the film. Taylor is the busking drummer who draws Chuck in with a superb beat that leads to the most spectacular dance number between Tom Hiddleston and Annalise Basso. 

Nick Offerman narrates The Life of Chuck, which provides the strong presence of Stephen King in the film. Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of King’s short story enhances the literary feel by implanting the narrator as a surrogate for Stephen King. It works exceedingly well as a guiding agent leading us through the backward chronology of The Life of Chuck. 

I can’t say enough good things about this movie. It is honestly one for the books.

The Life of Chuck premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024.