The Life of Chuck is based on Stephen King’s novella of the same name. It is told in three acts, in reverse order. First, in “Act Three: Thanks, Chuck”, it appears that the end of the world in near, though no one really seems to be panicking. An earthquake has caused California to sink into the ocean, while other natural disasters are happening all across the globe. The internet has been spotty for the past 8 months, but has finally called it quits. On his way home from school, teacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is puzzled why there are bank billboards stating “Charles Krantz: 39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!”. Who is this accountant Chuck? He hardly even looks 39 let alone having spent 39 years on the job! Marty’s ex-wife, nurse Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan), has also seen the same bizarre ads on TV. Marty and Felicia remained friends after their divorce, and with the end seemingly near, they decide to spend their final hours with one another.

In “Act Two: Buskers Forever”, accountant Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) is in town for a week attending a banking conference. As he goes for a walk on a sunny day, he sees busker Taylor Franck (Taylor Gordon aka The Pocket Queen) playing her drums on the street. She sees Chuck and caters the music to him, hoping to attract his attention. Chuck not only stops by, but starts dancing solo. A crowd that has started form, and Chuck sees a young woman named Janice Halliday (Annalise Basso) among those watching. Janice was recently dumped by her boyfriend via text, and Chuck asks her to join him, which immediately lifts her spirits. Together they perform an elaborate dance routine, which spans all genres of dance and music.

Finally, in “Act One: I Contain Multitudes”, we start off with a 7-year-old Chuck (Cody Flanagan), who has been living with his paternal grandparents “Zayde” & “Bubbe”, ever since his parents were killed in an icy car crash three years earlier. It had taken a few years of mourning before his grandmother Sarah (Mia Sara) started to enjoy life again, cooking meals and dancing with Chuck. Though grandfather Albie (Mark Hamill), an accountant, remains a bit more stoic. He also seems to have a secret, warning Chuck to stay out of the cupola in their home’s roof. As Chuck grows older, his love of dancing with his grandmother makes 10-year-old Chuck (Benjamin Pajak) a strong member of his school’s Twirlers and Spinners club. And several years later, 17-year-old (Jacob Tremblay) must make a decision on the direction on his life.

The Life of Chuck was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who has primarily done horror movies and TV shows in the past. This film is vastly different from his past projects, but also feels the most personal. The film was done on a small budget, but doesn’t feel low-budget. Flanagan has a usual cast of actors that show up in all of his projects, and they also make an appearance here. But there’s also many other recognizable stars who show up just for a single scene here and there—David Dastmalchian, Harvey Guillén, Michael Trucco & Matthew Lillard, among others. The independent film was made with a waiver during the 2023 strikes, so many actors were thrilled to even work for a half a day.

Upon my first viewing in the theater, I was a bit confused as to what was going on, and how these three different acts were connected, but things ultimately come together in a bit of an A-ha moment by the end. I actually enjoyed the movie even more the second time around via this Blu-ray. Already knowing what it going on allowed me to look for other Easter eggs strewn throughout the acts. There has been a lot of thought put into the layers that make up this film.

On first viewing, the first act (Act Three) feels quite odd. It’s the end of the world, but no one seems to be panicking. This guy Chuck seems to be everywhere, but no one seems to know who he is. By the end of that first Act, you start to get clues to piece things together. Then comes the second act which is features this massive, joy-filled dance sequence that goes on for quite a long time. You can’t help but smile watching this. It is so wonderfully crafted, combining Mandy Moore’s brilliant choreography with The Pocket Queen’s excellent music, and skillful dancing by the actors. Then we go into the final act which is much more straightforward, following the life of this young boy as he discovers the joy of dance, but also experiences loss. The final act also has a bit of a supernatural Stephen King meets Stephen Spielberg feel to it.

Throughout the film there is this whimsical narration provided by Nick Offerman. This, combined with the more fantastical look and feel of the movie, gave the film a bit of a Pushing Daisies and Amelie kind of feel for me. There may be themes of loss and heartbreak that run through the acts, but taken as a whole, the films actually tells a very inspirational and uplifting story, filled with love. This story is told in reverse, proving the idea that sometimes life only makes sense when you’re looking back at it. It’s a story filled with life, death and missed opportunities, and the idea that you just need to live every moment to the fullest. Big things could be happening when you don’t even realize it!

The film is creatively shot, with physical aspects that coincide with dialogue within the film. The first two acts are quite short in comparison to “Act One”. Also, as the film progresses, the picture fills more and more of the screen, going from a more cinematic letterboxed 2.39:1 in Act 3 to 2.00:1 in Act 2 and finally a nearly TV screen-filling 1.85:1 in Act 1.

Decal Releasing/NEON has released The Life of Chuck on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital. We were sent the Blu-ray version for review. The video presentation looks excellent, with a sharp, clean picture, natural-looking colors, and a solid level of detail throughout. The film has a very fantastical look at times, and this is captured beautifully. The audio track is also well done, providing immersive audio throughout that transports the viewer into Chuck’s unique world. The film has a catchy, beautiful score, which also sounds amazing.

The Blu-ray disc features an excellent audio commentary from writer/director Mike Flanagan as well as 50 minutes of interviews with the cast/crew and some trailers and promo spots. The disc is packed in a standard HD keepcase. Our review copy did not include any slipcover. As with all NEON releases, no digital copy is included.

What’s Included:

Film (1:50:45):

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1 / 2.00:1 / 1.85:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Audio Description 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0/li>
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Extras:

• Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Mike Flanagan (1:50:45)
  Writer/director Mike Flanagan provides an informative and personal commentary track throughout the film. He talks abput how he got interested in the project, filming during the strikes, assembling the cast, the budget, adapting the story, and more. He also shares a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the production.
• The Making of The Life of Chuck (17:31)
  The cast and crew discuss the original novella and how the adaptation came about, the story, creating the dance sequence, working with Mark Hamill, working with director Mike Flanagan, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage, and interviews with writer/director/editor/producer Mike Flanagan, producer Trevor Macy, choreographer Mandy Moore, and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Marty”), Karen Gillan (“Felicia”), Tom Hiddleston (“Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz”), Mark Hamill (“Albie”) & Jacob Tremblay (“Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz”).
• On-Set Interview with Tom Hiddleston (14:19)
  Star Tom Hiddleston talks about his reaction to reading the script, the ordinariness of the character, the unique structure of the story, his love of dance and filming the dance sequence (including some behind-the-scenes footage), working with Mandy Moore, Annalise Basso, Mike Flanagan and Taylor Gordon AKA The Pocket Queen, his most memorable day on set, what he hopes the audience will take away from the film, and more.
• On-Set Interview with Chiwetel Ejiofor (10:09)
  Star Chiwetel Ejiofor talks about what drew him to the story and the character of Marty, how the acts are connected, working with Mike Flanagan & Karen Gillan, and more.
• On-Set Interview with Mark Hamill (8:45)
  Star Mark Hamill talks about how he got involved in the movie, his character, the anticipation of what you don’t see, learning what a cupola is, being part of an ensemble, some of his challenging math dialogue, working with Mike Flanagan, and more.
• Teaser (1:13)
• Trailer (1:51)
• Heart (:31) – TV Promo
• Multitudes (:31) – TV Promo

Final Thoughts:

The Life of Chuck is a unique movie that seems to get better with each re-watch, as you know more about what’s going on and start to notice more layers to the production. Writer/director Mike Flanagan has stepped out of his usual horror genre to create something magical and fantastical that has a quite uplifting message. Decal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes a nice selection of bonus material. Fans will definitely want to pick this up, as well any anyone looking for something a little different.