TIFF Review: ‘The Life of Chuck’ is a Fascinating Web of Curiosities

What does it mean to live a good life? The state of the world and the unpredictability of personal circumstances contribute greatly to how somehow believes they’re meant to move through the world and what options they have. In three cleverly-connected acts, told from finish to start, The Life of Chuck presents people grappling with the mysteries of the universe and trying to find their place in the midst of some occasionally unfortunate and truly unexplainable times.

In the opening act three, Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is just trying to hold parent-teacher conferences, but it’s tough to get anyone to focus with news of various devastating environmental catastrophes, like California breaking off from the continent. The impending end of the world reunites him with his ex-wife (Karen Gillan), and they bond over memories and the bizarre omnipresence of advertisements congratulating Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) on 39 years. Chuck takes the spotlight in act two as he interacts with a drummer (Taylor Gordon) and a woman going through a breakup (Annalise Basso) in an impromptu street dancing performance. In act one, a much younger Chuck (Benjamin Pajak) copes with loss and learns important life lessons from his Bubbe (Mia Sara) and Zayde (Mark Hamill) following the untimely death of his parents and unborn sister.

The Life of Chuck is adapted from a recent Stephen King novella and brought to the screen by writer-director Mike Flanagan, who has previously worked with King stories to make Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game. This project represents a departure from their typical horror fare for both auteurs, incorporating larger-than-life, supernatural elements in a supporting way that’s hardly terrifying but certainly unnerving, mainly because some, like that environmental devastation, may not be all that inconceivable for our near future.  

While its three segments are connected, they’re not linked in the most literal or linear way, and the way that this film is assembled is marvelous. Nick Offerman serves as a narrator to introduce certain characters and underscore a handful of humorous moments, and there’s much mystery to Chuck before audiences finally meet him in act two. The way in which tributes to a man who definitely doesn’t look old enough to have worked 39 years, or barely even older that age, appear everywhere when the internet and television channels never work is a wondrously curious event, one that feels considerably more innocuous than the destruction of the planet.

This film features a fantastic ensemble with no weak links, and there are multiple sets of performers who share memorable scenes together. Ejiofor and Gillan set a sentimental tone to start, and Hiddleston and Basso completely enliven their extended scene with their dance moves. Audiences should prepare to be even more impressed with Pajak and the younger Chuck’s abilities, and Sara and Hamill provide sage wisdom decades after their breakout roles now that they’re playing grandparents. Carl Lumbly, Violet McGraw, and a handful of briefly-seen familiar faces also contribute wonderfully.

The Life of Chuck is definitely a bizarre film, but one that celebrates its strangeness, never delving too much into explanation about a few key concepts but instead dwelling on the questions they create. Several confusing contradictions make things even more intriguing, and this film, expertly guided by Flanagan, knows how to manage its mysteries in the most mesmerizing way. Telling its story in reverse is merely the tip of the iceberg from which this film gets its footing, and there’s creativity layered all throughout it to make it an experience that should linger long after act one concludes and audiences remain invited to decipher the many puzzle pieces it offers.

Movie Rating: 9/10

Awards Buzz: Flanagan tends to work in genre fare so hasn’t been feted much, but maybe some of the names involved, like Hiddleston, can help attract some much-deserved attention to this very unique specimen.s