Starring Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jacob Tremblay, Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan

Written & Directed by Mike Flanagan

Filmnation / Neon – in cinemas now

The world – indeed the universe – is facing the end of days, but High School teacher, Marty, is increasingly perplexed by mysterious billboards popping up across town thanking Chuck Krantz – a man that no one has heard of – for 39 great years.

Given that the starting point for the latest Stephen King story to hit the big screen is the end of the world, it’s hardly a spoiler that this particular three act movie starts with its final, elegiac movement. On the plus side there’s probably no one I’d rather face oblivion with than Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Marty along with Karen Gillan as his ex-wife, Felicia who shares my sentiments exactly, despite their divorce. On the negative side, the puzzle as to who the mysterious Charles Kranz is, is fairly easy to unravel. It’s been the plot of at least two of Inside No. 9’s most popular episodes, along with novels by Iain Banks and Alex Garland, and at least one movie starring Tom Cruise.

To that end, The Life of Chuck feels at times like one of The Twilight Zone’s more leisurely and philosophical episodes. Luckily, this arguably predictable ‘twist’ is cleared up at the end of act one, and the remaining two acts are free to explore the emotional whys and wherefores which turn out to be richer territory than dwelling on some kind of paranormal whodunnit.

Acts two and three take us to the life that the title promises. To that end we are blessed with an engaging central performance by newcomer Benjamin Pajak as the 11-year-old Chuck, with Jacob Tremblay picking up the role when he hits his late teens. Mark Hamill is almost unrecognizable as Chuck’s troubled grandfather, Albie. To say more about the plot would be to spoil the movie’s many satisfying call-back curlicues, but what makes The Life of Chuck particularly enjoyable is its exploration of the nature of life and the human experience. At the heart of the film is a subtly woven dialectic, pitting mathematical reality against the subjectivity of consciousness, and deciding that while both are essential to humanity they are very different things indeed.

While the movie ends with an obligatory paranormal exclamation mark of sorts, by then I’m not sure anyone really cares. In that respect, the Stephen King ‘brand’ works slightly against the heart of what Flanagan appears to be really interested in.

Verdict: The Life of Chuck is a gentle and thoughtful film. I left the cinema wondering that it was perhaps a bit inconsequential, but a day later I’m still thinking about it and some of its more surprising and gently magical moments. I think it’s going to stay with me for a while. 8/10

Martin Jameson

www.ninjamarmoset.com