Review of 'The Life of Chuck'

Based on the novella by Stephen King, “The Life of Chuck” is told in three acts but in reverse order. In act 3 (“Thanks Chuck”) the world appears to be falling apart with multiple global catastrophes accompanied by weird advertising featuring a mysterious “Chuck” figure “Charles Krantz: 39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!” Teacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) begins to believe it is the end of time and struggles before this happens to reconcile with his ex-wife Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan). As the world falls apart we learn of it's connection to a dying 39-year-old named “Chuck”. Act 2 (“Buskers Forever”) sees Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) attending a banking conference when he inexplicably starts dancing to a busker playing a drum, attracting a crowd he eventually beckons someone in the crowd who seems to be captured by the beat: Janice Halliday who has just been dumped by her boyfriend via a text message. The dance concluded, the three go their separate ways though Chuck starts to feel a bit unwell…Act 3 (“I Contain Multitudes”) tells the story of Chuck's childhood (Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak, and Cody Flanagan) and we learn a bit more about what exactly is going on.

This is a nice slow-burner of a film that forces the viewer to put the pieces together but does not include all of the pieces. A refreshing change rather than being spoon-fed everything. The story is compelling and quirky…but in a good way…with likeable, normal, characters which is what King is good at. It is only in the final act that things becoming more clear…in a very SF sort of way. There are also some big names on the screen beyond Hiddleston including an aged, mysterious, Star Wars' Mark Hamill as Chuck's grandfather Albie Krantz and Dr Who alumni Karen Gillan as Marty's ex-wife. They all put in wonderfully relaxed and natural performances that perfectly contrasts with the rather unusual events going on around them. No one screams or yells here, it is all very understated, and all the better for it. It is also not terribly sentimental. Wonderful.

If I would nit-pick I would agree with other reviewers who say the pace is a bit uneven with the second act quite a contrast with the other two…but I can forgive this for the fact the whole film is so interesting and fun to watch. A gentle film that has an intriguing Science Fiction-y premise that will keep you hooked.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2026-01-20

Directed by: Mike Flanagan

Studio: Neon

Year: 2024

Length: 111 minutes

Genre: Science Fiction

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12908150/