Film Review: The Life of Chuck

Welcome back to the blog readers. The intriguing world of Mike Flanagan is not one I have acquainted myself with thus far, but the acclaimed horror director has decided to go outside of his wheelhouse to direct a science-fiction drama film that chronicles life itself. As someone who you know loves science fiction and hearing the positive buzz coming out of CinemaCon, would this film be able to deliver an experience I am not familiar with? Stick around to find out.

The Life of Chuck was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King and contained in his 2020 compilation If It Bleeds. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill. The film, told in reverse chronological order, follows the formative moments in the life of Charles "Chuck" Krantz, from his youth to his death that coincides with the end of the universe.

I personally did not see much in the way of marketing for this film so I truly had no earthly idea what to expect going in. All I had was the Rotten Tomatoes score and the buzz coming out of CinemaCon. Did I think this film was going to win Best Picture? Not by a longshot, but I did hope we would get a good time at the theater. And I do have to say that I had a fairly good time with the film. There were no performances that really jumped out at me as being noteworthy, but I do like what is being said about life itself.

This may be one of my shortest reviews because there really is not a whole lot to say in terms of the performances, but I do want to take a minute and talk about the story of this film. John Campea says it best when he says this film is not going to be for everyone, but it is an inherently beautiful look on life and how precious it is. It reminds me of a film that had its trailer play ahead of this film called A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025). Each frame of the film is telling a human story and it is brilliantly made in that way.

One of the things this film dives into so well is the idea that life is precious. And the "second act" of this film puts things into perspective incredibly well. The scene that I am talking about is the dance scene with Tom Hiddleston. Someone, when reviewing this film, called this scene marvelous and how it allows for us to be inherently human, and I agree with that sentiment. That scene is supposed to make you feel joy, and I had a smile on my face the entire time.

And the final scene I want to talk about has to do with Mark Hamill's monologue on how essential math is to life. You may not know this about me, but I love math and all of its intricacies. I think that goes back to when I was a kid around Act 1 Chuck's age of 10. As someone who loves the topic incredibly deeply, I felt seen in that scene, and my heart was so full of joy in that moment. And everything he said in that monologue is 100% true, whether you choose to believe it or not.

In conclusion, The Life of Chuck tells a human story with all the emotion that makes us human and gives for a joyous time at the movies. Thank you all for reading, and remember: you are wonderful, you deserve to be wonderful, and you contain multitudes.