Though Tom Hiddleston takes top billing, the film really belongs to his younger iteration from Benjamin Pajak. Both (and Jacob Tremblay) play “Chuck” at various stages of his life as it retrospectively interweaves the lives of others in their small community. We start at the end, sort of thing, with the Earth of teacher “Marty” (Chiwitel Ejiofor) facing an apocalyptic end surrounded by posters of a “Chuck” whom nobody knows. He is constantly being thanked on television, radio and on billboards galore - but who is he? Well, skip back in time and we meet the younger man (Pajak) who has suffered a family tragedy and is now living with his grandparents. They are all reeling from this event, but gradually his grandma (Mia Sara) imbues her grandson with her love of dancing whilst grandad (Mark Hamill) takes solace in a bottle. He’s never a violent man, indeed but for a securely locked door to the room at the top of their Victorian home, he is a loving and gentle creature who merely wants his lad to learn the intricacies and benefits of mathematics and become an accountant like him. “Chuck” has taken his dancing to school where he partners with “Iris” (Violet McGraw) but when the prom looms large, she accompanies her beau and he gets a serious bout of cold feet which might mean they don’t dance together, and he will be crestfallen! It’s that dancing skill that acts as a conduit nicely throughout as the older “Chuck (Hiddleston) happens upon a busker playing the drums and is soon spontaneously doing his best impersonation of Fred Astaire to a large crowd on the street corner. That’s where he encounters “Felicia” (Karen Gillan) and life takes a new turn for a character about whom we already know quite an uncomfortable amount about. It’s that fact that rather draws these threads together effectively, if not chronologically, as we appreciate a character who is reconciled to a fate but not governed by it. It’s about a life that is really lived, without recourse to social media, likes, favourites and text manages. It’s a showcase for squeezing that last of the juice from life, and perhaps of dealing positively with issues of our own - or our entire species’s - mortality. It quite poignantly captures the innocence and anxieties of youth and demonstrates quite potently that these don’t just go away because we grow up. Like most Stephen King adaptations, it comes from a short story so the point of the plot is neatly condensed, but Mike Flanagan has managed to put some flesh on the bones of “Chuck” that create an intriguing character without compromising the thrust of this simplest of messages about humanity and that without the internet, life has a richness well worth discovering - however short that may prove to be.

Though Tom Hiddleston takes top billing, the film really belongs to his younger iteration from Benjamin Pajak. Both (and Jacob Tremblay) play “Chuck” at various stages of his life as it interweaves the lives of others in their small community. We start at the end, sort of thing, with the world of teacher “Marty” (Chiwitel Ejiofor) facing an apocalyptic end surrounded by posters of a “Chuck” whom nobody knows. He is constantly being thanked on television, radio and on billboards galore - bit who is he? Well, skip back in time, we meet the younger man (Pajak) who has suffered a family tragedy and is now living with his grandparents. They are all reeling from this event, but gradually his grandma (Mia Sara) imbues her grandson with her love of dancing whilst granddad (Mark Hamill) takes solace in a bottle. He’s never a violent man, indeed but for a securely locked door to the room at the top of their Victorian home, he is a loving and gentle creature. “Chuck” has taken his dancing to school where he partners with “Iris” (Violet McGraw) but when the prom looms large, she is taken by her beau and he gets a serious bout of cold feet which might mean they don’t dance together, and he will be crestfallen! It’s that dancing skill that threads nicely throughout as the older “Chuck” (Hiddleston) happens upon a busker playing the drums and is soon doing his best impersonation of Fred Astaire to a large crowd on the street corner. That’s where he encounters “Felicia” (Karen Gillan) and life takes a new turn for a character about whom we already know quite an uncomfortable amount about. It’s that fact that rather draws these threads together effectively as we appreciate a character whom is reconciled to a fate but not governed by it. It’s about a life that is really lived, without recourse to social media, likes, favourites and text manages. It’s a showcase for squeezing the last of the juice from life, and perhaps of dealing positively with issues of our own - or our entire species’s - mortality. It quite poignantly captures the innocence and anxieties of youth and demonstrates quite potently that they don’t just go away because we grow up. Like most Stephen King adaptations, it comes from a short story so the point of the plot is neatly condensed, but Mike Flanagan has managed to put some flesh on the bones of “Chuck” that create an intriguing character without compromising the thrust of this simplest of messages about humanity.