The Life of Chuck – TIFF 2024
Natalie Portman Teaches Acting
September 5 to September 15, 2024
During the end of the world, billboards begin appearing thanking an accountant for 39 great years in The Life of Chuck. Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a schoolteacher whose classes begin to dwindle due to seemingly apocalyptic events in the world. Marty begins to see billboards and advertisements congratulating Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) on “39 Great Years.” As the end of the world gets increasingly closer, Marty reconnects with his ex-wife Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan) and begins to wonder what exactly is so special about Charles Krantz.
The Life of Chuck Synopsis
The Life of Chuck is a fantastical drama written and directed by Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Doctor Sleep), based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King, published in the 2021 anthology If It Bleeds. Without revealing too many specifics about the plot, the story of The Life of Chuck is told in three reverse-chronological acts, each narrated by Nick Offerman and involves the different point in the titular Chuck’s life. The longest of the three acts focuses on a young Chuck, played at various stages of life by Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak, and Jacob Tremblay (Room, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan), who is raised and receives conflicting life lessons from his grandparents Sarah (Mia Sara) and Albie (Mark Hamill), the latter of whom forbids Chuck from visiting their home’s supposedly haunted kupula.
My Thoughts on The Life of Chuck
After being exclusive to horror for much of his career, Mike Flanagan flawlessly makes the transition into drama with The Life of Chuck, though the film does feature some fantastical and science fiction elements, particularly in the film’s Chiwetel Ejiofor-led first act. Despite being top billed as the titular character, Tom Hiddleston is only a lead in the film’s second act, which includes what will ultimately be The Life of Chuck’s most memorable sequence. The Life of Chuck also has a very impressive embemble that includes David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, Kate Siegel, Annalise Basso, and Heather Langenkamp, many of whom only appear for a single scene. While The Life of Chuck is an immensely different film than Mike Flanagan is known for, the film will still pull at your heartstrings with its ultimate message about living life to your fullest.
