by Henry Pham
Mike Flanagan, known for his horror works (including Doctor Sleep), steps away from his horror-filmmaking gigs to helm this fascinating sci-fi, coming-of-age drama film. Based on the 2020 novel of the same name written by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck focuses on the extraordinary story of a titular man. It 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. And just letting the viewers know that the film is split into three acts, though they are playing backward as the story progresses to focus on the character development of Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz.
Tom Hiddleston, known for his roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrays the titular character. His performance captures the charm as he felt working on this project was very rewarding for him. Yet he never missed a beat on his acting and dancing skills, even though the latter skill is not part of his resume. Even though the story focuses on Hiddleston and his character, Tom lets a couple of actors shine throughout the story. Most of the dance scenes are exquisite thanks to their choreographers, Mandy Moore and Stephanie Powell, who make them so inspiring.
The prestigious supporting cast has been well-selected, providing some much-needed depth and emotional weight for the storyline and Tom’s character. Here, we got Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy films) as Felicia Gordon, Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as Sarah Krantz, Carl Lumbly (Captain America: Brave New World) as Sam Yarbrough, Jacob Tremblay (Room) as the teenage version of Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz, and Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise) as Albie Krantz. Nick Offerman (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) provides the voice narration for the story.
The story and the cast performances deliver a solid, meaningful message about life and the universe in The Life of Chuck. The direction from Flanagan made a deep, multilayered, yet beautiful film about the value of life, humanism, and purpose. It is difficult to explain this movie, but it teaches you to be grateful for the things you have done and what you have while you have a future ahead. The entire cast is fantastic, but Hiddleston is the soul of the story. I think The Life of Chuck should get nominations for any award, such as the Oscars. This film looks promising as Flanagan does not waste his time on shooting every single shot. Clocking in at 110 minutes, this is a movie that you should watch in theaters. Flanagan did an exceptional job incorporating the universal scopes and filmmaking techniques throughout the plot. This movie is good for your soul.
GRADE: B+