It’s not the horror that makes prolific author Stephen King‘s works so compelling, though it certainly helps, but rather his talent for capturing the nuanced multitudes of the human condition. His three-dimensional characters leap off the pages and into Constant Readers’ hearts, ensuring their emotional journeys resonate with or without horror.
It’s something writer/director Mike Flanagan is deeply dialed into, frequently capturing the essence of King’s horror stories without sacrificing any of the sentimentality. So it only makes perfect sense that the filmmaker would eventually explore King’s gentler side, adapting If It Bleeds‘ novella The Life of Chuck into a life-reaffirming, tender celebration of life at the end of the world.
Like the novella, The Life of Chuck begins at the end, or rather with Act Three: “Thanks, Chuck.” Schoolteacher Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) attempts to navigate his usual work routine, despite the world around him crumbling at a rapid rate. Natural disasters have spiked with increasing regularity and strength, wreaking havoc on the population. The internet is on its last legs, and apocalyptic doom hangs in the air, further eroding society. As Marty struggles to cope, so does his ex-wife Felicia (Karen Gillan), the pair often turning to each other for solace and connection.
Enter strange billboards and ads popping up, all thanking a mysterious Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) for 39 great years in what appears to be the final harbinger of the world’s end.
The apocalyptic setup feels timely, at least in the way humanity has largely grown complacent and apathetic in the face of constant catastrophe. So much so that it can distract from finding a foothold in a story that’s intentionally told backward. Especially with the revolving door of familiar faces like Matthew Lillard and David Dastmalchian, each bringing poignant and sometimes funny reflections and insight. It’s only when Act Three’s clues converge into a fuller picture, and Nick Offerman’s voiceover narration heralds us into Act Two: “Buskers Forever,” that The Life of Chuck’s life-affirming purpose begins to take fuller shape, congealing into a warm celebration of life at the end of the road.
Flanagan encourages viewers to soak in the details and minutiae by peppering in recurring motifs, references, and plot beats. Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself, 51“ becomes a thematic backbone, acting as a loose guide as we slowly learn more about the mysterious but amusingly milquetoast Chuck, played to charming yet humble perfection by Tom Hiddleston. It’s only fitting, considering Flanagan’s poetic approach to celebrating a rather simple, straightforward life. Small gestures of spontaneity transform into soaring milestone moments, lifting a rather unremarkable life up as one worth celebrating.
It’s the little things that matter most, both in life and in The Life of Chuck. Flanagan finds inventive and stylish ways to remind us of this throughout, shaking loose deep-seated memories from Chuck’s upbringing and highlighting the way small choices or unobtrusive memories can create a lasting ripple effect throughout the years. The film unwittingly exemplifies this in an almost meta way, too, with the background cameo of the Kingcast podcast co-hosts Eric Vespe and the late Scott Wampler and Flanagan dedicating his film to Wampler’s memory.
The Life of Chuck fittingly begins at the end and looks back upon a life well lived, fleeting along the various facets of life. It bears all the hallmarks of Flanagan’s work, including his frequent collaborators and a penchant for affecting monologues. That unabashed sentimentality yields numerous heartwarming moments and unforgettable scenes that make Chuck’s otherwise rote journey feel larger than life, further bolstered by a slight supernatural touch.
It’s the type of sugary-sweet story that plays like a warm hug and one that works best when operating on an intimate level. The Life of Chuck explores the vast universe within us all yet struggles to fully reconcile the cosmic with the personal, even if its thematic messaging is impactful. But it’s so endearingly sincere that only the hardest of cynics won’t be won over by the uplifting, earnest depiction of the complex universes- of the multitudes- within each and every one of us.
The Life of Chuck is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Editor’s Note: This TIFF review was originally published on September 7, 2024.
