Recently, I’ve been trying to go into movies completely blind. It seems like in contemporary media, everyone is so quick to create a narrative around a film and run with it. While this can create buzz around the film, it can also lead to the viewer having a built-in opinion on the film before they have even seen it. Due to this, I have strayed away from falling into the media narrative until after I have seen the film. Before I see the movie, I limit myself to how many reviews or trailers I watch. Now, how does my opinion on the correct way to watch a film lead into “The Life of Chuck?” Well, in this instance, when a film is as magical as this one, it leads to a pretty thrilling and magical watch that surpasses all your expectations. “The Life of Chuck” was truly a special watch that pulls on your heartstrings throughout the film, leaves questions for the audience, and incorporates not only a coming-of-age story but also one infused with mysticism and sci-fi elements that perfectly sit in the back seat, playing as an aspect to bounce off the main story instead of completely taking control of it.

This movie was beautiful. I’m actually writing this with tears in my eyes—directly after my watch. It’s happy, sad, and with some bonus tears of amazement tucked in there. Honestly, I don’t know where to start even, I’m just truly baffled on how beautiful this story is. From start to finish, you root for everyone; there’s not a single bad person in the film, just a bitter sweet story on what it means to be alive and how to mourn. The first act, where Chuck is vaguely remembering his life on his death bed, is absolutely beautiful and terrifying in the same way. It took me a solid twenty minutes to realize that the initial reality that we were presented is not actually the real world, but a figment of Chuck’s imagination as Chuck’s brain fires off one last hoorah on his death bed. When I had caught on to what was happening, I had no other expression except “wow, this is beautiful.” As mentioned above, I went in blind with having only seen the press interviews. In doing so, I left my mind open to whatever experience Mike Flanagan wanted me to have, and that experience was nothing short of impeccable.

The movie is really pretty: the coloring was great throughout, the dialogue felt natural, and it felt less like you’re watching a movie and more like you’re watching someone’s actual life, which was a fantastic idea for the movie. I thought it was really cool how in Act One, we were basically seeing Chuck’s world inside his mind as it deteriorates. We see hints of this at first—you think the world is going to end, but then scenes, such as all the patients disappearing, add an almost spooky, horror-like theme. As viewers, we aren’t made aware that we are inside his brain. Then, when we get to Act Two, we learn more about Chuck and his life as an adult, along with hints about his past.

Now, the GREAT PART of the movie is the story of young Chuck, which was so beautiful and heartfelt—an amazing story of perseverance and just a will to live and get better every day. My favorite scenes had to have been the conversation with his second-grade teacher and his conversation with his dance teacher, where she motivated him to dance at the middle school dance. I think the ending scene, while answering the question of what Mark Hamill saw up there, was nice, but honestly, I don’t think it was needed. While the ghost aspect of the film was interesting, I think if they had left it at the scene where Chuck is talking to the mortician and he keeps alluding to the fact that Hamill’s character knew he was going to die, it would have been enough. Leaving it there would still have given the viewer room to reflect after the film.

Overall, this movie is fantastic, and everyone should watch it. “The Life of Chuck” was truly one of the best films released in 2024, overshadowed by its late December release. For a film that was buried in my Letterboxd watchlist, I’m so glad I picked it on a random Tuesday—a Tuesday I will now never forget.

Now, one of my favorite things about movies is the ending song or end credits song. While this may be overlooked by some, to me it is the last chance to really pull the film together. A soundtrack can be as important as what we are visually seeing on the screen, and in the last three years, I can’t think of a movie that had a better ending credits song that tied into the film than “The Life of Chuck” and Gregory Alan Isakov’s “The Parting Glass.” With lines such as, “Of all the money I ever had, I spent it on good company,” “And all the sweethearts that ever I had, that’d wish me one more day to stay,” and lastly, “But since it falls unto my lot that I should rise and you should not, I’ll gently rise and softly call ‘Good night and joy be to you all.’” That last line especially hits you like a truck. The film already has your mind racing, thinking about where you stand in the world and what your legacy will be. When the chords land and you hear Isakov’s soft voice come in with a beautiful melody over the acoustic guitar, I felt a sad, reminiscent feeling mixed with a greater sense of call to action—a push to make sure I put my best foot forward in every action I take.

Overall “The Life of Chuck” is a must-watch for all cinema fans, and I’m really hoping it has a strong performance on the award circuits this year.

For more film reviews and ratings, including my very own “Favorite Films for Every Year I’m Alive list,” including films such as “City of God,” “Good Times,” and, of course, “The Life of Chuck,” follow Murphy_Flickx on Letterboxd, and stay tuned for more film reviews uploaded to The Concert Chronicles!