Movie Review: Tom Hiddleston leads the cosmic puzzle that is ‘Life of Chuck'

'Life of Chuck' is a peculiar movie with grandiose ambitions. It teases out a cosmic mystery about life and some guy named Charles Krantz ( Tom Hiddleston ) in a story told in reverse chronological order that gets smaller and smaller with each act. This is a story that begins with the apocalypse and ends with a middle school dance. Well, kind of. I'm not out to spoil (much) here.
It's based on a novella by Stephen King (part of his 'If It Bleeds' collection of stories) and adapted by filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who was also behind 'Gerald's Game' and 'Doctor Sleep.' This, however, is not a horror movie, though there are spooky elements laden with ominous ambiguity. There are also big, joyful dance numbers, a fair share of cynical jokes, whimsical narration from Nick Offerman, earnest conversations about the end of the world and plenty of references to Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself' — in particularly 'I am large, I contain multitudes.' That is most movingly conveyed in a sweet scene with a teacher (Kate Siegel) and a middle school aged Chuck ( Benjamin Pajak ) on the last day of school.
'Life of Chuck' wants to make you think, feel, laugh and cry about the most mundane of characters: Krantz, a white, American, middle-aged accountant, whose life is modest and whose childhood was full of tragedy and loss. And while I certainly enjoyed elements of this odyssey in reverse, I was ultimately left feeling very little — especially about Chuck and the questionable end-of-film explanation that ties it all together.
Hiddleston, it should be said, is not in 'Life of Chuck' as much as one might expect for being the titular character. His presence looms large certainly — it's why we're here. But, in reality, Hiddleston as a performer is more of an ensemble player among a sea of recognizable faces.
In the third act, which opens the film, he's everywhere — on billboards and television ads, cheerily smiling in a nondescript grey suit, coffee cup in one hand, pencil in another. 'Charles Krantz. 39 great years! Thanks Chuck!' the signs read.
It's the background until it's all that's left as the world appears to be ending. The internet has gone out. Parts of California have drifted into the Pacific. Environmental disasters rage. Suicides are skyrocketing. Hail Mary life decisions are being made. And poor Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is just trying to do his job as a school teacher. His parent-teacher conferences have become parent therapy sessions. Everyone — a maintenance guy (Matthew Lillard), a funeral director (Carl Lumbly) — seems to want to philosophize about what's going on, and who the heck Chuck is. He has big conversations about the history of the universe with his ex-wife (Karen Gillan). And together they wait for the end.
In act two, a grown Chuck (Hiddleston) dances in the street in a joyful six-minute sequence. Compelled to move when he hears the beat of a street drummer (Taylor Gordon), he even pulls in a stranger to join him (Annalise Basso).
In act one, he's a kid ( Pajak ) who has lost both his parents and unborn sister in a car accident and is living with his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara, who it's nice to have back on screen). It's during this segment, which comprises nearly half the movie, that he learns to dance. First, it's through his grandmother freestyling to Wang Chung and curating a movie musical marathon (including 'Singin' in the Rain,' 'Cabaret, 'Cover Girl' and 'All That Jazz'). Then it's at school, where little Chuck learns the perks of being a straight man who can dance. There's also a possibly haunted cupola on the top floor of their house that's causing grandpa lots of anxiety.
This is a film with a big heart that has already made a significant impact on some moviegoers. Last fall it won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival, an honor which has produced many best picture nominees and winners.
And it's one where a second viewing might be rewarding, so you can more appreciate the thoughtful throughlines and the piece as a whole since you know what it's building toward.
But I also suspect this particular flavor of sentimentality might not be for everyone. This critic felt a bit like the film was trying to trick you into caring about Chuck, while revealing very little about the man he became and explaining too much about the mystery. And yet it's a nice message, with nice performances and might be that kind of affirming hug of a film that someone is craving.
'Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself.'
Film reviews can also contain multitudes.
'Life of Chuck,' a Neon release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language. Running time: 110 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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Winnipeg Free Press

14-06-2025

• Winnipeg Free Press

It's the end of the world but it's cosy

The Life of Chuck is an adaptation of a novella by Stephen King by writer-director Mike Flanagan, so one might expect a chiller-thriller of the order of their previous collaborations, such as Doctor Sleep or Gerald's Game. But despite an opening segment depicting a global apocalypse — and a supernatural component in the third act — this isn't a film built around horror beats. It marches to the thrum of a different drummer altogether. The Life of Chuck shoots for life-affirming inspiration, which is not unfamiliar territory for King, whose non-horror works include stories that have spawned the films Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. One startling distinction is that this film is adventurously constructed around three seemingly disparate stories. In the first, the citizens of a community are rocked by events that signal the end of the world is at hand. The events, which include California breaking off into the Pacific, are of growing concern to small-town teacher Marty Anderson (Chewitel Ejiofor), who decides to help his community cope with the breakdown of society in a series of meetings that function as a combination of parent-teacher sessions crossed with psychotherapy. The circumstances present an opportunity for Marty to come to an understanding with his ex-wife, Felicia (Karen Gillan), even as both seek to understand the mysterious preponderance of billboards and TV ads sporting an image of a benign-looking accountant type, bearing the legend: 'Charles Krantz. 39 Great Years. Thanks Chuck.' Who is Charles Krantz? The inspired second segment tentatively answers that question with Tom Hiddleston's titular Chuck, indeed an accountant, visiting a town for a business conference. Neon Tom Hiddleston (right) plays the title character opposite Annalise Basso in the second of three separate tales that make up The Life of Chuck. Wandering the quaint streets, he happens upon busker Taylor (Taylor Gordon) literally trying to drum up some cash. Inspired, Charles approaches the freshly dumped Janice (Annalise Basso) and the two proceed to dance up a storm. Questions remain: Who is this guy? What does the film's first part have to do with its second? Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. All questions are answered in the third segment, in which we learn the life history of Chuck, starting with a tragedy that sees young Chuck (Jacob Tremblay) being raised by loving grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara) while navigating his way to adulthood, encompassing a love of dance and his granddad's sober admonition: 'People like dancers, but they need accountants.' This segment offers the key to the film's puzzle, in which a teacher explains a Walt Whitman poem to young Chuck, also quoted in the first act. In his other horror projects, such as the vampire series Midnight Mass, Flanagan demonstrated he is a filmmaker who should never be accused of sentimentality. He has a gift for portraying human frailty in a way that makes it all the more devastating when his characters meet terrible genre fates. Even without the supernatural hoohah, Flanagan's gift holds firm here. Stressing the humanistic, his film is ultimately a celebration of creativity, whether that takes the form of brazenly dancing in the street, or engaging in a secret creative process for an audience of one. Dan Anderson / Neon Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor, left) and his wife Felicia (Karen Gillan) are facing the end of the world. Randall KingReporter In a way, Randall King was born into the entertainment beat. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

Toronto Sun

13-06-2025

• Toronto Sun

Mike Flanagan on 'The Life of Chuck,' adapting Stephen King and his plans for 'The Dark Tower'

'He's always writing about love, even in the scariest stories,' filmmaker tells Postmedia Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Stephen King and Mike Flanagan appear at the premiere of "The Life of Chuck" during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6, 2024. Photo by Chris Pizzello / Invision/AP Stephen King might be the preeminent master of horror, but underneath the scares lies the beating heart of a writer in love with being alive. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account That is very much on display with The Life of Chuck , Mike Flanagan's big screen adaptation of King's novella of the same name that was featured in his 2020 short-story collection If It Bleeds . Told in three parts, The Life of Chuck , which opens in theatres across Canada this Friday, casts Tom Hiddleston as an ordinary accountant named Charles 'Chuck' Krantz who leaves his mark on seemingly everyone as the possible end of the world eerily grows nearer. With a supporting cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Jacob Tremblay, Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak, Annalise Basso and Kate Siegel, the film was a surprise winner at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, where it took home the coveted People's Choice Award. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The prize is considered an early predictor for Oscar attention (past winners have gone on to be nominated in key categories at the Academy Awards with past People's Choice picks like Green Book , 12 Years a Slave and The King's Speech taking home Best Picture). 'With The Life of Chuck , people reflect on their own lives and the lives of people they're close to,' TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said after its win. 'When you come out of a movie having that kind of emotional reaction, that's what often prompts a vote.' King, who doesn't always weigh in on the cinematic adaptations of his books, described the movie as 'a happiness machine.' Annalise Basso and Tom Hiddleston in 'The Life of Chuck.' Photo by Elevation Pictures Flanagan, who has twice before adapted King with Doctor Sleep (a sequel to The Shining ) and Gerald's Game , says he grew up loving the author's works because he thought he liked being scared right before bedtime. It was as he got older that the 47-year-old filmmaker says he realized King is a storyteller whose works are filled with love and empathy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'He's always writing about love, even in the scariest stories,' Flanagan tells Postmedia in an interview from Vancouver, where he is in the midst of shooting a series based on King's horror novel Carrie for Amazon. Life of Chuck , he says, resonated with him because it encapsulates what matters most in life, which is remembering to be joyful, always having gratitude and most of all, finding the time to dance. 'This was one that hit me right in the heart,' Flanagan says. Below, Flanagan, who has made a string of horror hits on TV, including Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher , spoke more about his adaptation of The Life of Chuck and why his upcoming version of King's Dark Tower series might be the most ambitious thing he's ever tackled. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. You've had a lot of success in the horror realm with your Netflix shows and your adaptations of Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game . Life of Chuck is a more sentimental story. What made you want to adapt it? I was so in love with the story. I read it in April 2020, right after the lockdown, just as the world was falling apart, but it made my heart leap with optimism and joy and this bittersweet appreciation and gratitude for my life. We live in a scary, cynical world and this story comforted me so much during such a scary time when I read it. I wanted this to exist in the world for my kids because I knew at some point they might need this too. So I dreamed of trying to create the feeling that I had when I read it for someone else watching it in the theatre. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Tom Hiddleston in 'The Life of Chuck,' directed by Mike Flanagan. Photo by Elevation Pictures You're in the midst of a Carrie revamp. You're going to do the Dark Tower . What's the appeal for you about Mr. King's works? Stephen King is my favourite author, bar none and by a mile and has been since I was a kid. When I was younger, thought it was because it was so scary and so visceral and so entertaining, but as I got older, I realized he's my favourite author because he is at his heart an optimistic humanist who writes stories about empathy. I realized that It is one of my favourite books not because of the scary clown, but because of the friendship of these kids. Stories like Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption , which have changed me as a person, come from the same beating heart of a man who is known for terrifying people, but who is not writing about horror … Pet Sematary is one of the most terrifying things I've ever read, but it's about parental love and grief. The Stand isn't about the virus or Randall Flagg or evil, it's about the courage and bravery of ordinary people standing up against all odds with no witness and no hope for victory. That's Stephen King to me. Stephen King is a profoundly optimistic person who writes beautiful stories that are cloaked in darkness. That's a fascinating landscape. It's been a real joy to love his work my whole life and now get to translate it as many times as he's allowed me to. It's been very very cool. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. (Left to right) Benjamin Pajak, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Mike Flanagan, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kate Siegel of 'The Life of Chuck' pose in the Getty Images Portrait Studio Presented by IMDb and IMDbPro during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 7, 2024. Photo by Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for IMDb Do you have a dream book of his you'd like to tackle? It's the Dark Tower … that's the big one. It's the one that ties it all together. It's the journey of a life and existence. That's the number one. There are so many of his that live in my heart. A sentimental favourite that I've always looked at is Hearts in Atlantis . The one that got away was Revival . I wrote an adaptation of that one that I loved. I wish it could have made its way to the screen. I hope someday that it does. But yeah, Dark Tower — 100%. And you're going to adapt Dark Tower next. It is King's magnum opus. It has encompassed eight books and ties into many of his other works. So what will that look like? It's got to be a series then it also has to have movies. The perfect way to do it is five seasons and two movies, but there are a lot of different ways it can go. It's such an intimidating undertaking, but we're setting it up now to begin as a series and we'll see where it goes. The Life of Chuck is now playing in theatres. mdaniell@ Read More World Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Music

Winnipeg Free Press

04-06-2025

• Winnipeg Free Press

Highlights from The Associated Press' interview with Stephen King

NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen King recently spoke to The Associated Press about the new film adaption 'The Life of Chuck,' his latest book 'Never Flinch' and other topics. Here are highlights from that conversation. On 'The Life of Chuck' Over time, King has developed a personal policy in how he talks about the adaptations of his books. 'My idea is: If you can't say something nice, keep your mouth shut,' he says. Every now and then, King is such a fan of an adaptation that he's excited to talk about it. That's very much the case with 'The Life of Chuck,' Mike Flanagan's new adaptation of King's novella of the same name published in the 2020 collection 'If It Bleeds.' 'The Life of Chuck,' which Neon releases in theaters Friday (nationwide June 13), there are separate storylines but the tone-setting opening is apocalyptic. The internet, like a dazed prize fighter, wobbles on its last legs before going down. California is said to be peeling away from the mainland 'like old wallpaper.' And yet in this doomsday tale, King is at his most sincere. 'The Life of Chuck,' the book and the movie, is about what matters in life when everything else is lost. There is dancing, Walt Whitman and joy. 'In 'The Life of Chuck,' we understand that this guy's life is cut short, but that doesn't mean he doesn't experience joy,' says King. 'Existential dread and grief and things are part of the human experience, but so is joy.' On his life as a moviegoer So vividly drawn is King's fiction that it's offered the basis for some 50 feature films. For half a century, since Brian De Palma's 1976 film 'Carrie,' Hollywood has turned, and turned again, to King's books for their richness of character, nightmare and sheer entertainment. He's also a moviegoer, himself. 'I love anything from 'The 400 Blows' to something with that guy Jason Statham,' King says, speaking by phone from his home in Maine. 'The worst movie I ever saw was still a great way to spend an afternoon. The only movie I ever walked out on was 'Transformers.' At a certain point I said, 'This is just ridiculous.'' On contemporary anxieties The kind of climate change disaster found in 'The Life of Chuck,' King says, often dominates his anxieties. 'We're creeping up little by little on being the one country who does not acknowledge it's a real problem with carbon in the atmosphere,' King says. 'That's crazy. Certain right wing politicians can talk all they want about how we're saving the world for our grandchildren. They don't care about that. They care about money.' On social media, King has been a sometimes critic of President Donald Trump, whose second term has included battles with the arts, academia and public financing for PBS and NPR. Over the next four years, King predicts, 'Culture is going to go underground.' In 'Never Finch,' Holly Gibney is hired as a bodyguard by a women's rights activist whose lecture tour is being plagued by mysterious acts of violence. In the afterward of the book, King includes a tribute to 'supporters of women's right to choose who have been murdered for doing their duty.' 'I'm sure they're not going to like that,' King says of right-wing critics. On 'Never Flinch' King, 77, has now written somewhere around 80 books, including the just released 'Never Flinch.' The mystery thriller brings back King's recent favorite protagonist, the private investigator Holly Gibney, who made her stand-alone debut in 'If It Bleeds.' It's Gibney's insecurities, and her willingness to push against them, that has kept King returning to her. 'It gave me great pleasure to see Holly grow into a more confident person,' King says. 'She never outgrows all of her insecurities, though. None of us do.' 'Never Flinch' is a reminder that King has always been less of a genre-first writer than a character-first one. He tends to fall in love with a character and follow them through thick and thin. 'I'm always happy writing. That's why I do it so much,' King says, chuckling. 'I'm a very chipper guy because I get rid of all that dark stuff in the books.'