A No-Spoilers Take on The Life of Chuck

By

Scott D. Parker

I work in marketing. Glad I wasn’t on the marketing team for The Life of Chuck. I mean how do you market a film arguably best viewed knowing nothing going in?

A week or so ago, Mark Hamill, who stars in the movie, was on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They chatted up his role in the film, but then Hamill did the thing that must have frustrated the marketing team. He encouraged movie goers not to watch the trailer. Don’t read reviews. Just go in cold and experience the movie.

That’s what my wife and I did on opening night. All I really knew about the movie was that Stephen King wrote the novella (good), Mike Flanagan wrote and directed the movie (also good), and, based on the poster of Tom Hiddleston on the theater wall, there would be dancing.

I’m here to tell you that’s really all you need to know. Stephen King’s pedigree is gold at my house. If he’s involved, I give it a watch. When I found out that Mike Flanagan was the director and screenwriter, I was sure this was something special. Flanagan gave us The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, so he’s also become one of those filmmakers who always gets a look just because his name is attached.

What the pair have created with The Life of Chuck is nothing short of surprising. It is a story that delivers the warm fuzzies, but it also doesn’t shy away on the topic of death. It is an uplifting film that is sure to be drowned out by the summer blockbusters. To be honest, this should have been released in September because some of the film’s vibe is autumnal. The ending is quiet, with the credits just slowly fading on screen. The theater’s patrons were silent and unmoving for about a minute after the credits rolled. We just sat with our feelings, thinking.

I’ve told folks that, perhaps like The Shawshank Redemption, The Life of Chuck will become more popular as the years go on. I sure hope so because this is definitely a special film that you should take all opportunities to see, even if it’s later this year on streaming.