You only get one life and so you’ve got to make the most of it.  It’s a mantra I follow and, while its not revelatory, it’s a piece of advice I like giving to younger folk.  That theme as at the core of The Life of Chuck, a new film from director Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) based off a short story authored by Stephen King (The Shining, It).  It’s a reminder to see the world, take chances, make friends, and have fun.  Enjoy life because you never know when Death will come knocking.

While it’s a valuable, powerful message, its delivery in The Life of Chuck is a little frustrating.  The story revolves around Charles Krantz, a character we see… but don’t really get to know.  He has an emotionally fraught upbringing when his two parents are killed in a car accident and goes on to discover a passion for dance and accounting.  Oh, and he seems like a nice, genuine guy.  That’s about it.  The film is scant on other details including the relationship he shares with his wife and son.

Perhaps this is due to the film’s unusual structure which is both cool and annoying.  Mirroring the Stephen King novella, it’s split into three very different acts and told in reverse chronological order.  The first two chapters show Chuck as a middle-aged adult, played by Tom Hiddleston (Thor), while the lengthy final section depicts him as a youngster, played by Jacon Tremblay (Room) and newcomer Benjamin Pajak.  I applaud the unusual approach but needed more narrative.  It unfortunately falls upon a narrator (Nick Offerman) to provide heavy-handed monologues explaining each character’s history and mindset.

I’d still recommend this though and that’s largely thanks to the direction of Mike Flanagan.  From the way he depicts the bizarre happenings in the opening act, through to a public elaborate dance sequence, Flanagan uses musical and visual stimulation to engage audiences and compensate for the screenplay’s shortcomings.  The weaving of characters and imagery between the chapters, such as a simple hand-waving gesture picked up from his grandmother, also leaves a positive impression.

Since 2012, every winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival has earned an Academy Award nomination for best picture.  The Life of Chuck took the honours last September but after an underwhelming release in the United States two months ago (it made just $7 million USD at the box-office), that streak is a near certainty to end.  Perhaps Neon bungled the marketing campaign or perhaps the movie isn’t as good as hyped-up Toronto audiences would have us believe.  It’s probably a combination of both.