Plot Summary: Told in three acts moving backward in time, the film chronicles the life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz. It begins with his death at age 39, which coincides with apocalyptic events, and moves back to his childhood in a supposedly haunted house, exploring the universe contained within a single life.
Director: Mike Flanagan
Screenplay: Mike Flanagan (based on the novella by Stephen King)
Producers: Trevor Macy, Mike Flanagan
Music: The Newton Brothers
Cinematography: Eben Bolter
Editor: Mike Flanagan
Starring:
Tom Hiddleston as Charles Krantz
Mark Hamill as Albie
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Marty Anderson
Karen Gillan as Felicia Gordon
Jacob Tremblay as Young Charles Krantz
***SPOILER ALERT***
Let me start with wtf is wrong with people...
After a quick trip to the IMDb page for The Life of Chuck, I have one thing to say to everyone leaving those 'uplifting' reviews: What the f*** is wrong with you? So let me get this straight: you feel good about a kid losing his parents in a car crash, then losing his beloved grandmother and grandfather, and then, through some supernatural bull****, finding out he's going to die young and has to just wait for it? And to top it all off, the entire universe either ends along with him or it's all just a metaphor for his inner world collapsing. The only thing this movie left me with was dread. Pure, existential dread. Am I supposed to get up and dance to the drum beat at the end? Again, what the f*** is up with you?! This is a horror movie with a sweet song slapped on at the end; don't get fooled. Just check the director's filmography—it's all horror! Maybe that was the point. People leave the cinema humming that tune but with a knot of existential terror in their gut, smiling and waving because the music told them to feel uplifted. No way, José. This was written by Stephen King, for God's sake, based on his novella from If It Bleeds.
An Apocalyptic Thank You Note
The movie kicks off with Act III, which is easily the most interesting part of the whole damn thing. It tricks you into thinking you're in for a cool apocalypse movie driven by climate change and the complete loss of the internet—which, by the way, is the most fascinating idea in the film and deserves a whole movie just on its own. The characters are interesting, the story is mysterious, and we keep seeing these messages everywhere: "Thank you, Chuck, for 39 wonderful years." They're on billboards, on TV, and then, in a seriously creepy holographic scenario, they appear on window panes when the power goes out. It gave me the creeps, yikes! The act then ends with the universe literally starting to disappear. Act II is... well, it's just Chuck dancing on the street with a drummer and a girl who just got dumped. That's it. Okay, they dance well, but looking back on it now... what a waste of time. Finally, we get to Act I, and you're left thinking, "Okay, he's a great dancer, but is Chuck responsible for the end of the world?!" We follow his tragic story as a boy, learning about the haunted Victorian cellar in his grandparents' house that he's forbidden from entering, and watch as he goes in anyway and sees a vision of himself dying in a hospital bed. There's some more dancing in this final act and that's pretty much it.
The Existential Toothache
With all that said, I still kind of enjoyed the movie, but only because it provoked this incredibly strange and unsettling feeling in me. I think that feeling got a little more intense when, mid-movie, I ran my tongue over my teeth and discovered I had a crack in my front tooth. The sudden dread of going to the dentist, the idea of losing teeth, of getting older, all while watching this movie about a life ending and the universe collapsing... it was not a good feeling. Afterwards, I felt a huge urgency to spend more time with my daughters, but a pervasive nihilistic feeling was hanging over me, thanks to those haunting blue holograms and the image of the stars collapsing. This is not a bad movie, but for all the reasons above, I do not recommend it!
🎥 Cinematography (7/10):
Some striking visual moments, particularly in the apocalyptic scenes. The blue hologram effects were genuinely unsettling.
📖 Story (7/10):
A backwards narrative that's intriguing but ultimately leaves you feeling hollow. Act III (the beginning) is by far the most compelling part.
🎬 Direction (8/10):
Flanagan knows how to create dread. His horror roots show through what's being marketed as an uplifting tale.
👥 Characters (6/10):
Chuck himself is well-performed but the supporting characters feel more like plot devices than people.
💥 Visual Effects (8/10):
The disappearing universe and holographic messages were effectively disturbing. Strong points of the film.
🎭 Acting (7/10):
Hiddleston does a solid job, Tremblay is compelling as young Chuck, but there's only so much they can do with this material.
💬 Dialogue (6/10):
Nothing memorable stands out. Serviceable but not remarkable.
🌍 Setting/Atmosphere (8/10):
The apocalyptic world feels genuinely eerie. The haunted house elements create good tension.
🎵 Music (6/10):
That final upbeat tune feels manipulative after everything we've witnessed. Otherwise unremarkable.
😄 Entertainment Value (6/10):
If existential dread is your thing, you'll love it. For me, it was interesting but left me feeling empty.
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