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Some things just go well together — peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, salt and pepper. Now, it’s time to add Stephen King and Mike Flanagan to that list of epic duos. Flanagan has made a name for himself by faithfully adapting King’s horror novels, from “Doctor Sleep” (2019) to “Gerald's Game” (2017). His newest film, “The Life of Chuck,” takes on one of King’s non-horror novellas from his collection “If It Bleeds.” This adaptation shines, displaying a deep understanding of King’s novella while also embracing Flanagan’s patient style and love of nonlinear storytelling. While it doesn’t do anything new visually, “The Life of Chuck” is an endearing portrait of a single life, with both its beauty and pain on display.
“The Life of Chuck” is told in a non-linear manner, following one man, Chuck (Tom Hiddleston), backwards from his tragic early death to his childhood. In the first third of the film, we are introduced to a world that is crumbling, and as the story progresses, it becomes clear that this is a universe created inside Chuck’s mind. Then we see Chuck’s adulthood and childhood, focusing on the joy that he finds through dance and interpersonal relationships, as well as his experience with grief. The story is extremely sentimental — perhaps too sentimental for some tastes — and focuses on the value of individuality. It shows how a single person can experience both extreme pain and hope throughout their life, communicating this through Chuck’s encounters with death and dance.
Flanagan’s film revels in a little-used cinematic virtue: patience. “The Life of Chuck” allows the audience to soak in its beautiful moments by taking its time. The editing lets each scene play out in its entirety — there are few fast edits or montages. For example, in the middle of the film, Chuck bursts into dance. The film allows the entirety of the dance sequence to play out without interruption, which makes the scene feel spontaneous and endearingly real. Additionally, the script never overexplains the plot to the viewer — instead, it fosters patience by leaving puzzle pieces throughout the runtime that blossom into understanding by the film’s close.
Since the plot is somewhat confusing for those who enter the film unprepared, the strong performances are key to grounding the audience. The cast of “The Life of Chuck” is absolutely stacked with star power — Karen Gillan, Nick Offerman, Mia Sara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Jacob Tremblay all make appearances. The one who steals the show, though, is Hiddleston in the film’s leading role. Although the adult version of Chuck only appears in about a third of the film, Hiddleston brings quiet composure to the role and does an excellent job of communicating Chuck’s inner life as well as his external options. The dance scenes shine especially bright — Hiddleston transforms Chuck from an everyday businessman to a vivid creative in seconds, and obviously enjoys playing the role. Since the plot of the film is very emotional, focusing on Chuck’s singularity, this strong performance is essential to the audience’s investment.
“The Life of Chuck” is thematically very strong, but it is held back by its bland cinematography. Most of the film comprises static establishing shots and simple portrayals of reactions. Even the dance scenes are depicted with an almost tedious level of uninspired camerawork. The camera is consistently stable and follows the characters in a nondescript manner. Since the plot is so creative, the lack of interesting camerawork feels like a loss. With some added visual flair, “The Life of Chuck” would feel like a stronger testament to the main character’s existence.
Flanagan’s ability to portray one of Stephen King’s more sentimental works shows that he has as much range as the beloved author, cementing the duo as one of the film industry’s strongest ongoing synergies. “The Life of Chuck” is not flashy, but it is charming and surprisingly touching. It shows that every person is worth celebrating — a message that is always worth listening to.
—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.
