THE LIFE OF CHUCK
-review by Neil Healy-
I saw The Life of Chuck with my wife and friends in LA at a pre-release screening. It’s SciFi, and you never know how that’s going to go over. SciFi is like comedy, it either works or it doesn’t. But The Life of Chuck has Mike Flanagan, and of course the idea-master, Stehen King. Mike Flanagan wrote, directed and edited this film, so immediately you know it’s hand crafted. Mike previously directed adaptations of King’s novels including Gerald’s Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019).
This tale is more like other King adaptations, Stand by Me (1986), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and The Green Mile (1999). Since Mike directed The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, The Fall of the House of Usher to name a few, he is perfect for the challenge.
Told in revearse, The Life of Chuck is a sharp portrait of the life of a man who is remarkable simply becuase he is so normal. Movies have been made about these seemingly average people, Forest Gump, Dave, ordinary people, living extraordinary lives. In his case, Chuck is persuing the truth behind his own childhood mysteries. One of my friends found it a bit long and repeitive, I disagree. You are always in good hands with Flanagan. There is conflict and dancing and romance, and yes, humor.
How often do we get laughs in a SciFi movie? And it has that Back to the Future sense of American reality. I think the audience loved it.
Neil Healy
