Mike Flanagan is easily one of the most underrated filmmakers working today. Whether it’s his work on films like Doctor Sleep or Gerald’s Game or his TV shows The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher, Flanagan has made a name for himself in the Hollywood industry. His newest film, The Life of Chuck, sees his return to the big screen with a nonlinear drama that proves his versatility as a filmmaker.

Based on Stephen King’s short story, The Life of Chuck follows the lifespan of Charles “Chuck” Krantz, played by Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay and Benjamin Pajak. The film is told in a “Benjamin Button”-type structure, starting at the last day of Chuck’s life and ending during his childhood. Structuring the film this way not only brings for unpredictable storytelling, but allows for a different interpretation for what Chuck’s life represents.

By telling the film in reverse order, the audience understands what will come in Chuck’s life and how it will come to a tragic end. Despite this, the film manages to breathe happiness and hopefulness throughout. Whether it’s a dynamic dance number in the middle of the film or a touching relationship between a grandfather and grandson, The Life of Chuck finds a way to take a sad story and turn it into something that will make you smile.

The film also has a heavy emphasis on death and the burden that it leaves on a person as well as those surrounding them. Even though there are moments of humor surrounding the idea of death, the film tackles it with sincerity and gravitas. It is not only depicted as negative, but as a means to push someone to be the best person they can, and all of these ideas are tackled beautifully through Flanagan’s screenplay and directing. 

The film has a stacked ensemble, with actors like Matthew Lillard and David Dastmalchian making brief but standout appearances. Tom Hiddleston and Benjamin Pajak are great as the lead protagonists, using dance as a means to promote themes of life and emotions in a touching manner. Although Hiddleston is given only a few lines of dialogue, his expressions and physical presence brings a much needed complexity to the protagonist.

The biggest acting standout belongs to Mark Hamill, who gives one of his best performances in years as Chuck’s grandfather. Even though he only appears in one act of the film, he embraces the relative/mentor role in all the best ways. His mix of sternness and empathy makes for an incredibly well-rounded character that brings many of the film’s most emotional sequences. If the Oscars were today, he would easily be in consideration for Best Supporting Actor.

The score by the Newton Brothers is easily one of the best of the year. The piano ballads mixed with symphonic instrumentals make for a unique and emotionally impactful score. The music feels grand, which matches with the scale of the story and themes presented. Many of the film’s heartfelt moments would have landed differently if it weren’t for the music.

Mike Flanagan has proven throughout his projects that he can include human drama into genre territory seamlessly, and The Life of Chuck is no different. The film has many surreal moments, especially in the first chunk of the movie, but Flanagan somehow manages to ground the movie in a manner where anyone can interpret and feel for the movie’s message. His ability to bring empathy in the unreal moments is what makes Flanagan one of the great filmmakers of this generation. 

What keeps The Life of Chuck from being “best of the year” material by the end of the year is its use of narration. While Nick Offerman has the perfect voice for narration and brought many comedic elements to the film, his inclusion sometimes cut into the themes of the movie. Instead of allowing the audience to interpret the images for themselves, Offerman would often tell exactly what should be taken away from the scene, almost as if he was spoon feeding information. If the film were to remove the narration entirely, the movie would have felt more organic and emotionally satisfying. 

Although there were moments that could have been more impactful, The Life of Chuck hits all the right beats of a drama while finding new and inventive ways to tell a story. Through hints of sci-fi and musical numbers, Flanagan shows his versatility as a storyteller and deep passion for filmmaking. With a grand score and compelling performances from the ensemble, this is a movie that everyone needs to see.

The Life of Chuck will be in theaters nationwide on June 13.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• Winning the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival almost always guarantees a Best Picture nomination, but with this film getting pushed back an entire year, I am unsure on its Oscar chances. As well as Neon’s commitment to pushing films that premiered at Cannes, I have a hard time seeing a push for this to get any major nominations. Best Adapted Screenplay could be a possibility, but as of now, I am predicting it for zero nominations.