This one was sensational.

Based on a novella by Stephen King, Mike Flanagan wrote this story about a man named Chuck, checking in on Chuck in three different time frames.

I was completely mesmerized with this movie.

It started off with Act 3, and then went backwards. A great storytelling tactic that I did not even realize until I saw Act 1 on the screen.

Chuck was played in Act 3 and 2 by Tom Hiddleston and he absolutely blew me away (especially with something that happened in Act 2. No spoilers, but it was absolutely brilliant).

In Act 1, three actors played the young Chuck. Cody Flanagan played 7-year old Chuck. Benjamin Pajak played 11-year old Chuck. Then Jacob Tremblay played 17-year old Chuck. All three of them were exceptional, but I thought Benjamin Pajak was the real standout as he seemed to have the most to do in this act. So while Jacob Tremblay was the biggest name of the three, Pajak did the best work for me.

The other wonderful performance of this movie, all in Act 1 was Mark Hamill, who played Albie Krantz, Chuck’s grandfather. Hamill got such a meaty role with this character that I sincerely think he has a strong case to get an Academy Award nomination for supporting actor. Hamill was brilliant as the grandfather with a bunch of secrets.

The narration over top of the movie was done by Nick Offerman and he provided such an amazing voice over. There was something about the way Offerman delivered his lines that made me feel as if everything was the way it was supposed to be.

The film is relatable, reflective and life-affirming. I loved The Life of Chuck. I did not know what it was going to be going in and I was absolutely thrilled coming out.

5 stars