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Winnipeg Free Press
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- 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.
Gulf Today
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
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 flavour of sentimentality might not be for everyone. Associated Press
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First Post
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
The Life of Chuck movie review: Tom Hiddleston-Mike Flanagan create magic with a soulful adaptation of Stephen King's novella
The Life of Chuck is a masterpiece and deserves your attention read more Star cast: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill. Director: Mike Flanagan After The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, Gerald's Game, and Doctor Sleep, director Mike Flanagan has taken a different route by exploring a sentimental story from Stephen King's with The Life of Chuck. The movie tells the story of a middle-aged accountant named Charles 'Chuck' Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), who leads a modest life and whose childhood was marked by tragedy and loss. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Divided into three acts having reverse narrative style, The Life of Chuck showcases the lead protagonist's happy memories, sad moments and mundane moments along with the people who play pivotal parts in his life including a teacher, Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), his grandfather Albie Krantz (Mark Hamill), a grade school crush, Cat (Trinty Jo-Li Bliss). The story has a supernatural element, similar to The Green Mile, as the room where Chuck lives is reportedly haunted, according to his grandfather. Mike Flanagan's direction looks like flawless poetry where questions like 'What happens next?' or, 'Why does anything have to have a conclusion?' explore the dynamics and essence of life. In the other two acts, where we see Chuck at different ages, engage in the core emotion of human values, which is beautifully written by the filmmaker. Talking about the performances, Tom has given one of his finest performances with restraint yet impactful act. He rules the screen with his nuanced and emotional expressions. Mark Hamill and Mia Sara as Chuck's grandparents are great while Ejiofor makes his strong presence with effortless act and charm in his brief role. Benjamin Pajak is simply phenomenal as young Chuck and you can't take your eyes off him. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the whole, The Life of Chuck is a masterpiece and deserves your attention. Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars) The Life of Chuck is playing in cinemas
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'The Life of Chuck' review: Soulful Stephen King movie is 2025's best so far
'The Life of Chuck' review: Soulful Stephen King movie is 2025's best so far Show Caption Hide Caption 'The Life of Chuck': Tom Hiddleston headlines Stephen King movie Based on a Stephen King novella, "The Life of Chuck" chronicles the life of accountant Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) in three acts told in reverse. 'The Life of Chuck' doesn't have any demonic clowns, killer pets or telekinetic kids. It's also, in its own way, the most amazing story Stephen King ever told, a brilliant novella that begins at the end of the world and winds up in a haunted attic. Fortunately, 'Chuck' (★★★★ out of four; rated R; in select theaters June 6, nationwide June 13) is made by a filmmaker who gets King like none other. Writer/director Mike Flanagan ('Doctor Sleep,' 'Gerald's Game') captures the uplifting and bittersweet qualities of King's prose and brings his own gift for character depth to the story of Charles Krantz, played by four talented thespians (including Tom Hiddleston). Flanagan, also to his credit, goes all in on the legendary author's unconventional storytelling, a lifetime that unfurls in three acts and in reverse. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox The first centers not on Chuck but schoolteacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor). He's making his way through pointless parent-teacher conferences even as the end times have arrived – the Internet's down, the world's falling apart, etc. – and people are dealing in whatever ways they can. Some walk around like zombies waiting for the sky to fall (literally or figuratively), and people go to jobs though there's nothing for them to do. What really weirds Marty out, though, is the strange billboards emblazoned '39 great years! Thanks Chuck!' and the image of Chuck at his desk with a cup of coffee. Marty reaches out to his nurse ex-wife Felicia (Karen Gillan), who's also at a loss about what the deal is with this Chuck guy, and they reconnect as everything grows dark around them. We finally meet the mysterious Chuck in the rousing second act, with a sequence straight out of 'La La Land.' Our man is an accountant skipping out on a day of work who winds up in a busy square and, inexplicably, begins to dance to the beat of a drumming busker. Chuck enlists the help of a young woman named Janice (Annalise Basso) and they enjoy a crowd cheering to the exhilaration of their samba- and swing-fueled moves. But the Capraesque third act is where the movie finally reveals itself, as Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak and Jacob Tremblay play Chuck in various stages as a kid navigating joy, tragedy and a child-like understanding of a bigger picture. This part of the story also employs some smooth moves – including Michael Jackson's moonwalk – as well as some deeper thoughts courtesy of Chuck's lovably crusty grandpa Albie, played by Mark Hamill. Sure, he's forever Luke Skywalker, but Albie is just as much a role he was born to play. Narrated in folksy style by Nick Offerman, the movie features a deep bench of supporting actors, many from the regular troupe Flanagan has employed for movies and Netflix horror shows such as 'Midnight Mass.' Kate Siegel has a pivotal role as Chuck's English teacher, while Matthew Lillard and Carl Lumbly shine in small but poignant parts amid an impending apocalypse. All the Chucks are spot on as well: Hiddleston is a magnetic Everyman, even in limited screen time as the lead of the movie, and young Pajak notches a star-making turn opposite Hamill. What is 'The Life of Chuck' about? Every member of the cast contributes in a small way to the collective beauty of the soulful film's themes, its exploration of humanity and grand existential questions. Who do you want by your side when it all ends? What happens if you choose practicality over creativity? Do you make the most of every moment of your life? It's a thought-provoking, big-hearted effort where you can see Chuck as one ordinary guy or a reflection of the multitudes contained within us all. Flanagan juggles a variety of moods and emotions throughout, so even if they seem disparate alone, they all make sense in context. There's impending doom, buoyant revelry, intimate drama, coming-of-age wonder and, yes, even some unnerving terror. (We are dealing with the author of "It" and "The Shining," so it can't all be puppies and rainbows.) If you want to go for the really scary stuff, there are plenty of other King movies for that. 'Chuck' instead is something truly special, a moving fantasy of a life well lived and no dance step left untaken. How to watch 'The Life of Chuck' Based on the Stephen King novella, "The Life of Chuck" is in select theaters June 6 and nationwide June 13. The film is rated R by the Motion Picture Association "for language."
Winnipeg Free Press
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
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.
