Latest news with #TheLifeofChuck
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Mike Flanagan on 'The Life of Chuck,' adapting Stephen King and his plans for 'The Dark Tower'
'He's always writing about love, even in the scariest stories,' filmmaker tells Postmedia Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Stephen King and Mike Flanagan appear at the premiere of "The Life of Chuck" during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6, 2024. Photo by Chris Pizzello / Invision/AP Stephen King might be the preeminent master of horror, but underneath the scares lies the beating heart of a writer in love with being alive. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account That is very much on display with The Life of Chuck , Mike Flanagan's big screen adaptation of King's novella of the same name that was featured in his 2020 short-story collection If It Bleeds . Told in three parts, The Life of Chuck , which opens in theatres across Canada this Friday, casts Tom Hiddleston as an ordinary accountant named Charles 'Chuck' Krantz who leaves his mark on seemingly everyone as the possible end of the world eerily grows nearer. With a supporting cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Jacob Tremblay, Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak, Annalise Basso and Kate Siegel, the film was a surprise winner at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, where it took home the coveted People's Choice Award. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The prize is considered an early predictor for Oscar attention (past winners have gone on to be nominated in key categories at the Academy Awards with past People's Choice picks like Green Book , 12 Years a Slave and The King's Speech taking home Best Picture). 'With The Life of Chuck , people reflect on their own lives and the lives of people they're close to,' TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said after its win. 'When you come out of a movie having that kind of emotional reaction, that's what often prompts a vote.' King, who doesn't always weigh in on the cinematic adaptations of his books, described the movie as 'a happiness machine.' Annalise Basso and Tom Hiddleston in 'The Life of Chuck.' Photo by Elevation Pictures Flanagan, who has twice before adapted King with Doctor Sleep (a sequel to The Shining ) and Gerald's Game , says he grew up loving the author's works because he thought he liked being scared right before bedtime. It was as he got older that the 47-year-old filmmaker says he realized King is a storyteller whose works are filled with love and empathy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'He's always writing about love, even in the scariest stories,' Flanagan tells Postmedia in an interview from Vancouver, where he is in the midst of shooting a series based on King's horror novel Carrie for Amazon. Life of Chuck , he says, resonated with him because it encapsulates what matters most in life, which is remembering to be joyful, always having gratitude and most of all, finding the time to dance. 'This was one that hit me right in the heart,' Flanagan says. Below, Flanagan, who has made a string of horror hits on TV, including Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher , spoke more about his adaptation of The Life of Chuck and why his upcoming version of King's Dark Tower series might be the most ambitious thing he's ever tackled. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. You've had a lot of success in the horror realm with your Netflix shows and your adaptations of Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game . Life of Chuck is a more sentimental story. What made you want to adapt it? I was so in love with the story. I read it in April 2020, right after the lockdown, just as the world was falling apart, but it made my heart leap with optimism and joy and this bittersweet appreciation and gratitude for my life. We live in a scary, cynical world and this story comforted me so much during such a scary time when I read it. I wanted this to exist in the world for my kids because I knew at some point they might need this too. So I dreamed of trying to create the feeling that I had when I read it for someone else watching it in the theatre. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Tom Hiddleston in 'The Life of Chuck,' directed by Mike Flanagan. Photo by Elevation Pictures You're in the midst of a Carrie revamp. You're going to do the Dark Tower . What's the appeal for you about Mr. King's works? Stephen King is my favourite author, bar none and by a mile and has been since I was a kid. When I was younger, thought it was because it was so scary and so visceral and so entertaining, but as I got older, I realized he's my favourite author because he is at his heart an optimistic humanist who writes stories about empathy. I realized that It is one of my favourite books not because of the scary clown, but because of the friendship of these kids. Stories like Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption , which have changed me as a person, come from the same beating heart of a man who is known for terrifying people, but who is not writing about horror … Pet Sematary is one of the most terrifying things I've ever read, but it's about parental love and grief. The Stand isn't about the virus or Randall Flagg or evil, it's about the courage and bravery of ordinary people standing up against all odds with no witness and no hope for victory. That's Stephen King to me. Stephen King is a profoundly optimistic person who writes beautiful stories that are cloaked in darkness. That's a fascinating landscape. It's been a real joy to love his work my whole life and now get to translate it as many times as he's allowed me to. It's been very very cool. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. (Left to right) Benjamin Pajak, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Mike Flanagan, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kate Siegel of 'The Life of Chuck' pose in the Getty Images Portrait Studio Presented by IMDb and IMDbPro during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 7, 2024. Photo by Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for IMDb Do you have a dream book of his you'd like to tackle? It's the Dark Tower … that's the big one. It's the one that ties it all together. It's the journey of a life and existence. That's the number one. There are so many of his that live in my heart. A sentimental favourite that I've always looked at is Hearts in Atlantis . The one that got away was Revival . I wrote an adaptation of that one that I loved. I wish it could have made its way to the screen. I hope someday that it does. But yeah, Dark Tower — 100%. And you're going to adapt Dark Tower next. It is King's magnum opus. It has encompassed eight books and ties into many of his other works. So what will that look like? It's got to be a series then it also has to have movies. The perfect way to do it is five seasons and two movies, but there are a lot of different ways it can go. It's such an intimidating undertaking, but we're setting it up now to begin as a series and we'll see where it goes. The Life of Chuck is now playing in theatres. mdaniell@ Read More World Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Music
Gizmodo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Let's Talk About the Ending of ‘The Life of Chuck'
'I am large, I contain multitudes.' That quote by poet Walt Whitman looms large over The Life of Chuck, the latest Stephen King adaptation by writer-director Mike Flanagan. It fascinates the title character while he's in school and, eventually, speaks to the film as a whole, which may leave one or two people scratching their heads at the end. So, below, we'll talk about The Life of Chuck with full spoilers to both help put everything into context, but also marvel at how beautiful the whole film is when it all comes together. As I wrote in my review of The Life of Chuck last week, the first time I saw the movie, I was a little confused. The movie is told backwards, with the first third showing some seemingly random, end-of-the-world scenario, a second showing the titular character dancing in public, and the third all about Chuck's childhood. Watching it, I wasn't thinking of the film beyond what happens on the surface, and so the fact that characters from the first part of the movie appear in the third part of the movie, but as the same age, didn't quite click for me. Why did they look the same when Chuck was 39, but also when he was 15? The answer goes back to the Whitman quote. When young Chuck asks his teacher about what 'I am large, I contain multitudes' means, she explains how each person has a universe inside their brain. Every person, thing, and place they've ever encountered lives in their minds. It's a world that gets bigger and bigger as we get older and experience more things, all of which are added to our own world. And that's the key. The first third of The Life of Chuck isn't real. It's happening in Chuck's head, and all the apocalyptic things that are happening—the sink holes, the blackouts, the planets disappearing—show Chuck dying. We're watching Chuck's world. A world populated by people and things he's crossed paths with. A world filled with ideas he's encountered, in locations he's been to. We see most of this through Marty, the central figure in that story. The movie portrays Marty as a normal guy who has no idea who Chuck is but, as we see in the last part of the story, he was a teacher in school when Chuck went there all those years ago. He's also living in Chuck's grandparents' house. A house that, we learn later, was knocked down. Those are just two of the many, many connections in that opening third of the film. The girl Marty talks to on the roller skates appears after Chuck was dancing. Rahul Kohli's doctor character was sitting in that area too. The funeral director talking to Marty was the funeral director who helped Chuck with his grandfather's funeral in real life. Marty talks about the Carl Sagan special Chuck watched as a child. The list goes on and on. But, where the list ends is at anyone who actually had a profound impact on Chuck's life. Chuck's wife and son aren't in his fantasy world. The drummer and dancer aren't there. The teacher who taught him about Whitman isn't there. If any of them showed up, it would break the reality that, as Chuck is dying, he's kind of watching his life flash before his eyes. He would know it wasn't real if he saw someone important. We would know too. So, to keep the illusion of comfort, Chuck's world is populated with people, places, and things that live on the tangents of his mind. And, of course, the whole first section is about how the world started ending slowly about a year ago. How things are moving faster now. And, eventually, the lights go out. That's his illness. 'Thanks, Chuck. 39 great years.' A sign and slogan appear everywhere, and also coincide with what his wife and son are saying to him in the real world. Once you start looking at The Life of Chuck as it's meant to be seen, you see it differently. Not only does the whole apocalyptic scenario make more sense and get infinitely sadder, but every moment in Chuck's life becomes more magical. All the dancing, of course, both in the street and when he was a child. But learning with his grandma, talking to his grandfather about life, the flirtations, the awkwardness, everything is a piece of a new world. One that takes a turn when, at the actual ending, Chuck sees himself dying. Because he lives in this house with a haunted cupola, Chuck's family shelters a blessing and a curse. That's the ability to see death coming and, like his grandfather before him, Chuck sees the future and his own death. He knows it'll be in a hospital bed. He doesn't know how long he has or what will happen between then. But he knows, as we all do, that the end is coming. And Chuck takes comfort in knowing, no matter what kind of life you lead, you're creating a big, beautiful world for yourself. A world where a simple dance or glance can bring joy to everything and everyone. Watching The Life of Chuck not only makes you appreciate the smaller things in life, it makes each and every one of us feel grand. It makes you feel like something bigger. Maybe it makes you believe in something bigger. Because there's a comfort in knowing we all have our own world with us at all times. One final point to bring up is that The Life of Chuck is dedicated to a person named Scott Wampler. Scott was a friend of mine and, yes, that certainly adds a different level of emotional attachment for me. He passed away in 2024 in his mid-40s, way before he should have gone. Like Chuck, Scott lived a too-brief, but beautiful life. And, in that life, Scott had a Stephen King podcast called The Kingcast where he became friendly with Mike Flanagan. That podcast meant Scott and his podcast partner Eric Vespe got to visit the set of the film and appear in it both as background extras during Tom Hiddleston's dance, and also as the radio DJs Karen Gillian is listening to at the beginning of the movie. Scott loved King, he loved Flanagan, and he loved this story. One that will now carry his world forever. So while it's horrible that he's gone, it's beautiful that this film ifeatures and is dedicated to him. Just another small thing in this glorious world called The Life of Chuck. The Life of Chuck is now in theaters.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
We ❤️ Chuck
We ❤️ Chuck If the thought of a Stephen King movie makes you want to get up and dance … hoo boy, do I have the flick for you. 'The Life of Chuck,' based on the brilliant King novella, may surprise you if you're used to stuff like 'The Shining' and 'It,' but it's the kind of story that'll lift your spirits rather than scare the stuffing out of you. Along those same lines, a new live-action version of 'How to Train Your Dragon' gives extra dimension to the story of a boy and his adorable scary flying friend. So check out those heartwarming flicks at the cinema but don't forget to stream some TV: Peacock's 'Poker Face' is doing quirky mysteries-of-the-week like a champ these days. Now on to the good stuff: See the best movie of the year (so far), Stephen King adaptation 'The Life of Chuck' Let's face it, y'all. There have been a lot of terrible Stephen King movies – more than you might think, given how talented that guy is. Much of it comes down to the filmmaker, and with 'Life of Chuck,' director Mike Flanagan proves he understands King like no other. 'He's not writing horror even when he is writing horror,' Flanagan told me of how he tackles King as a reader and a filmmaker. 'He's an optimistic humanist and he's writing about love and humanity.' Also check out my video interview with star Tom Hiddleston where he talks about the importance of those 'Chuck' themes. By the way, 'Life of Chuck' is the best movie of the year so far, the story of a life told backward and a soulful exploration of humanity and grand existential questions. (Peep my ★★★★ review.) Soar with the live-action characters of new 'How to Train Your Dragon' While Pixar and Disney take up most of the conversation when it comes to animated movies, one movie outside the Mouse House that has a deep fandom is 'How to Train Your Dragon.' The original 2010 adventure is a spectacular tale of Viking teen Hiccup and his best dragon friend Toothless. I was a little miffed when I heard there was going to be a live-action remake, and even while it still wasn't necessary, I am happy to report that the take feels as vital as the original. (Peep my ★★★½ review.) I also put together a parent's guide for the redo and chatted with director Dean DeBlois and cast members about what's different from the first flick, such as teen appeal and an expanded role for Hiccup's friend Astrid. 'The original wasn't broken, so you can't fix it,' says Mason Thames, who plays the live-action Hiccup. 'All we could do was elevate it.' Stream 'Poker Face,' Natasha Lyonne's starry, standout sleuth show The second season of the Rian Johnson mystery show 'Poker Face' has featured an endless supply line of guest stars, from Cynthia Erivo and John Mulaney to Kumail Nanjiani and John Cho. And Natasha Lyonne, who plays amateur detective Charlie Cale, wears almost as many hats: actress, director, writer and producer. My bud Patrick Ryan visited the set and chatted with Lyonne, who likens her many roles to being a musician and identified with Jughead from the 'Archie' comic books. 'He was a one-man band, but also a friend of the gang,' she says. 'He just kind of hung out and had instruments around." "Poker Face" didn't make TV critic Kelly Lawler's list of the best TV shows so far this year, but some pretty good stuff did like "Andor," "The Pitt" and "Overcompensating" – all of which get the Brian Seal of Approval. Even more goodness to check out! Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@ and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
See Stephen King's 'The Life of Chuck' in theaters, rent 'The Amateur,' stream 'Cleaner' on HBO Max, plus more movies to watch this weekend
Hello, Yahoo Entertainment readers! Brett Arnold here, and I'm back with another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything. This week I was on vacation and still managed to see a bunch of movies — that's real dedication to this service I provide. I liked a lot of what I watched and think you will too, including The Life of Chuck, a new Stephen King flick with Oscar ambitions hitting theaters nationwide and the action flick Diablo, which is available to rent or buy at home. There's also not just one but two new movies worth watching that are debuting on streaming services you may already have: Echo Valley on Apple TV+ and Deep Cover on Amazon Prime Video. But that's not all — keep reading for more recommendations because there's something for everyone. What to watch in theaters Movies newly available to rent or buy Movies debuting on streaming services you may already have Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have My recommendation: Why you should watch it: The Life of Chuck isn't your average Stephen King adaptation. Based on a short story in the 2020 collection If It Bleeds, the film is a perfect match of filmmaker and material. and Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who previously adapted King's Gerald's Game and Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, his work — notably Netflix's popular The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor — often gets dinged for his saccharine approach and flowery dialogue. However, they feel like an asset here, honed to great effect. The gimmick of the story is that it follows an ordinary man's life but in reverse order, from act three to act one. In the process, we learn about his life, as well as the life he didn't live but might have enjoyed more. It may sound corny, but by the time act two hits, I was fully in the palm of the movie's hand and openly weeping, both in a sad way and in a revelatory, beautiful, life-affirming way. Saying any more would be a disservice to this very special and quietly powerful film, which is equally inspiring as it is deeply sad and depressing. It features Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Jacob Tremblay. 🍿 What critics are saying: They (mostly) love it! Shirley Li at The Atlantic wrote, "I fell for the film's earnest insistence that each of us has access to an inner world no one else can ever fully know; that message, as trite as it may be, is particularly touching because of its pointed delivery." Even a detractor like Time's Stephanie Zacharek said of the film's best scene that when in motion, The Life of Chuck "really is transcendent." 👀 How to watch: The Life of Chuck is now in theaters nationwide. Get tickets 🤔 If that's not for you... Celine Song, in her sophomore effort following the critically acclaimed Past Lives, ups the star power with Dakota Johnson in a love triangle, of sorts, with Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. The movie doesn't live up to the emotional highs of her debut film and the message sticks to standard rom-com platitudes. After a wild tonal shift in the second act, the movie never recovers. Also, I expected a subversive element or a twist, but it never came. However, the cast makes the cost of a movie ticket worth it. I enjoyed seeing Evans act in a real movie again after years of Marvel and streaming fare and Johnson turned in one of her best performances. Pascal, as per usual, is effortlessly good. Ultimately, the script lets the actors down. — Get tickets. The trend of live-action remakes of animated classics continues, this time with Dreamworks's 15-year-old computer-animated How to Train Your Dragon, a franchise that is so successful it's spawned multiple sequels, a TV series and a section at Universal's new theme park. The main issue with this movie is that there's no real reason to do this particular story in live-action, save for the fact that it will make a boatload of money. It lacks the color and visual imagination on display in the animated version and looks way darker and murkier than it should. It's otherwise totally serviceable redux that's identical to the original storywise, yet somehow a full 30 minutes longer. Kids will love it. — Get tickets. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: If the names Scott Adkins or Marko Zaror mean anything to you, you're well-versed in direct-to-video action and martial arts movies, in which case I don't need to sell you on this. If you're not: keep reading. Diablo has brutal hand-to-hand combat in which you feel every blow, exciting camerawork, kick-ass fight choreography and just enough of an engaging (but generic) story upon which the action can hang its hat. This doesn't seem like it's going to be the kind of movie that features a guy with a giant metal fist that's also a knife, and yet, there he is, killing a ton of people. It's insanely violent and over-the-top in the best way, a throwback to '80s action flicks, though it may go too far for some. 🍿 What critics are saying: Reviews are pretty split. Travis Hopson agrees that "it does what it promises to do and that's deliver intense martial arts action from two of the best in the game." Robert Brian Taylor over at Collider pointed out that "it's surprisingly dark undertones stop it from rising much above" the baseline of fun you get from the fight scenes. 👀 How to watch: Diablo is now available to rent or purchase on digital and on-demand. Rent or buy 🤔 If that's not for you... : French filmmaker François Ozon, the man behind several notable films including 2003's Swimming Pool, directed this engrossing and darkly comedic thriller. It's quiet until it's not, packing quite a few surprises and sneaking up on you in the best way. — Rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video. Bonjour Tristesse: This new adaptation of playwright and novelist Françoise Sagan's iconic 1954 novel, which was previously adapted in 1958, stars Lily McInerny and Chloë Sevigny. What else do you need to know?! — Rent or buy on Apple TV+. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney elevate a script that, shockingly enough, isn't based on a mass-market paperback. The actresses play mother and daughter, with Moore's character exploring how far she'll go to protect her drug-addicted child. Their acting is quite emotionally affecting and tragic and the relationship dynamics on display are potent. The movie prioritizes lurid thrills over the stellar performances, including Domhnall Gleeson playing against type, yet it's still entertaining enough to recommend, even though it really fizzles out in the third act when it becomes a much dumber and different movie than what preceded it. 🍿 What critics are saying: It's an even split. Variety's Peter Debruge wrote, "In the well-cast if frequently illogical offering from Apple TV+, Moore slyly elevates what could have been a routine protective-mama drama." William Bibbiani at The Wrap said that "it adds up to a potpourri of general genre genericness, never making enough noise to rattle, or even produce an echo." 👀 How to watch: Echo Valley is now streaming on Apple TV+. Stream on Apple TV+ ➕ Bonus recommendation: Why you should watch it: The premise of Deep Cover is "what if the CIA recruited comedians who specialize in improv instead of actual secret agents due to their unique set of skills?" It's a great set-up that provides plenty of fodder for comedy and the movie takes advantage of it, even if it lacks the energy and actual improvisational comedy you might expect from a movie about improv comedy. Orlando Bloom is hilarious here and absolutely steals the show playing a method actor whose overzealousness gets him into deeper and deeper trouble. Bryce Dallas Howard and Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed score their fair share of laughs, too. The action is less interesting than the comedy, which is often true of these types of flicks, but thankfully, it's funny enough not to be a problem at all. 🍿 What critics are saying: It's a rare unanimous 100% on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication time. Guy Lodge of Variety correctly noted that it's "shakiest, however, when it dips into straight-up action territory, often with a degree of violence that sits uneasily with the cheery comedy elsewhere." Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian said that "there are some laughs and it's always likable." 👀 How to watch: Deep Cover is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Stream on Prime Video My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Cleaner is another great example of the Die Hard but on a ... phenomenon, which I pontificated in a past entry. It's, hilariously, just "Die Hard in a high-rise building, but from the perspective of somebody cleaning the windows outside." As dumb as it sounds, the movie justifies these very silly circumstances well enough. Daisy Ridley in the lead really helps, as does Clive Owen in the Hans Gruber role. The stakes feel particularly high due to the bad guys' motivations, a group of environmental extremists taking matters into their own hands and there are some clever tricks deployed to maintain tension. Veteran action filmmaker Martin Campbell, whose credits include Pierce Brosnan's Goldeneye and Daniel Craig's first foray as James Bond in Casino Royale, directs with workmanlike efficiency. It's a sturdy and entertaining action that uses the familiarity of its story to its advantage. 🍿 What critics are saying: It's a mixed bag. Tomris Laffly at Variety said that "the main attraction is Ridley, whose vigor and charisma are unmissable on a screen of any size. The force is strong with her." William Bibbiani at The Wrap gives it to us straight: "The long and short of it is, Cleaner is just OK. It's a three-star trip down 'Been There, Done That' lane, and it's reasonably entertaining." 👀 How to watch: Cleaner is now streaming on HBO Max. Stream on HBO Max 🤔 If that's not for you... There's some infectious energy and charm here, almost entirely thanks to star Rachel Zegler, who appears alongside many very ugly CGI creatures, hideous backgrounds and all the usual stuff you see in modern blockbusters. She does a ton to elevate the material and it's cute in its best moments. The CGI dwarves sounded like a bad idea on paper but work well in context and their lengthier rendition of 'Heigh-Ho' is a highlight. —Now streaming on Disney+. Liam Neeson has been on autopilot as of late, churning out old-guy action flicks at the same frequent pace that he has since Taken changed his career trajectory, but on a smaller scale, with lower budgets. They're easy to formulate: Liam Neeson is an aging [insert CRIMINAL or COP here] dealing with [debilitating and terminal memory-based illness]. That descriptor absolutely describes Neeson's 2022 flick Memory and it also fits perfectly here. It's pretty forgettable stuff. —Now streaming on Hulu. That's all for this week — see you next Friday at the movies!
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
See Stephen King's 'The Life of Chuck' in theaters, rent 'The Amateur,' stream 'Cleaner' on HBO Max, plus more movies to watch this weekend
Hello, Yahoo Entertainment readers! Brett Arnold here, and I'm back with another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything. This week I was on vacation and still managed to see a bunch of movies — that's real dedication to this service I provide. I liked a lot of what I watched and think you will too, including The Life of Chuck, a new Stephen King flick with Oscar ambitions hitting theaters nationwide and the action flick Diablo, which is available to rent or buy at home. There's also not just one but two new movies worth watching that are debuting on streaming services you may already have: Echo Valley on Apple TV+ and Deep Cover on Amazon Prime Video. But that's not all — keep reading for more recommendations because there's something for everyone. What to watch in theaters Movies newly available to rent or buy Movies debuting on streaming services you may already have Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have My recommendation: Why you should watch it: The Life of Chuck isn't your average Stephen King adaptation. Based on a short story in the 2020 collection If It Bleeds, the film is a perfect match of filmmaker and material. and Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who previously adapted King's Gerald's Game and Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, his work — notably Netflix's popular The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor — often gets dinged for his saccharine approach and flowery dialogue. However, they feel like an asset here, honed to great effect. The gimmick of the story is that it follows an ordinary man's life but in reverse order, from act three to act one. In the process, we learn about his life, as well as the life he didn't live but might have enjoyed more. It may sound corny, but by the time act two hits, I was fully in the palm of the movie's hand and openly weeping, both in a sad way and in a revelatory, beautiful, life-affirming way. Saying any more would be a disservice to this very special and quietly powerful film, which is equally inspiring as it is deeply sad and depressing. It features Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Jacob Tremblay. 🍿 What critics are saying: They (mostly) love it! Shirley Li at The Atlantic wrote, "I fell for the film's earnest insistence that each of us has access to an inner world no one else can ever fully know; that message, as trite as it may be, is particularly touching because of its pointed delivery." Even a detractor like Time's Stephanie Zacharek said of the film's best scene that when in motion, The Life of Chuck "really is transcendent." 👀 How to watch: The Life of Chuck is now in theaters nationwide. Get tickets 🤔 If that's not for you... Celine Song, in her sophomore effort following the critically acclaimed Past Lives, ups the star power with Dakota Johnson in a love triangle, of sorts, with Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. The movie doesn't live up to the emotional highs of her debut film and the message sticks to standard rom-com platitudes. After a wild tonal shift in the second act, the movie never recovers. Also, I expected a subversive element or a twist, but it never came. However, the cast makes the cost of a movie ticket worth it. I enjoyed seeing Evans act in a real movie again after years of Marvel and streaming fare and Johnson turned in one of her best performances. Pascal, as per usual, is effortlessly good. Ultimately, the script lets the actors down. — Get tickets. The trend of live-action remakes of animated classics continues, this time with Dreamworks's 15-year-old computer-animated How to Train Your Dragon, a franchise that is so successful it's spawned multiple sequels, a TV series and a section at Universal's new theme park. The main issue with this movie is that there's no real reason to do this particular story in live-action, save for the fact that it will make a boatload of money. It lacks the color and visual imagination on display in the animated version and looks way darker and murkier than it should. It's otherwise totally serviceable redux that's identical to the original storywise, yet somehow a full 30 minutes longer. Kids will love it. — Get tickets. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: If the names Scott Adkins or Marko Zaror mean anything to you, you're well-versed in direct-to-video action and martial arts movies, in which case I don't need to sell you on this. If you're not: keep reading. Diablo has brutal hand-to-hand combat in which you feel every blow, exciting camerawork, kick-ass fight choreography and just enough of an engaging (but generic) story upon which the action can hang its hat. This doesn't seem like it's going to be the kind of movie that features a guy with a giant metal fist that's also a knife, and yet, there he is, killing a ton of people. It's insanely violent and over-the-top in the best way, a throwback to '80s action flicks, though it may go too far for some. 🍿 What critics are saying: Reviews are pretty split. Travis Hopson agrees that "it does what it promises to do and that's deliver intense martial arts action from two of the best in the game." Robert Brian Taylor over at Collider pointed out that "it's surprisingly dark undertones stop it from rising much above" the baseline of fun you get from the fight scenes. 👀 How to watch: Diablo is now available to rent or purchase on digital and on-demand. Rent or buy 🤔 If that's not for you... : French filmmaker François Ozon, the man behind several notable films including 2003's Swimming Pool, directed this engrossing and darkly comedic thriller. It's quiet until it's not, packing quite a few surprises and sneaking up on you in the best way. — Rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video. Bonjour Tristesse: This new adaptation of playwright and novelist Françoise Sagan's iconic 1954 novel, which was previously adapted in 1958, stars Lily McInerny and Chloë Sevigny. What else do you need to know?! — Rent or buy on Apple TV+. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney elevate a script that, shockingly enough, isn't based on a mass-market paperback. The actresses play mother and daughter, with Moore's character exploring how far she'll go to protect her drug-addicted child. Their acting is quite emotionally affecting and tragic and the relationship dynamics on display are potent. The movie prioritizes lurid thrills over the stellar performances, including Domhnall Gleeson playing against type, yet it's still entertaining enough to recommend, even though it really fizzles out in the third act when it becomes a much dumber and different movie than what preceded it. 🍿 What critics are saying: It's an even split. Variety's Peter Debruge wrote, "In the well-cast if frequently illogical offering from Apple TV+, Moore slyly elevates what could have been a routine protective-mama drama." William Bibbiani at The Wrap said that "it adds up to a potpourri of general genre genericness, never making enough noise to rattle, or even produce an echo." 👀 How to watch: Echo Valley is now streaming on Apple TV+. Stream on Apple TV+ ➕ Bonus recommendation: Why you should watch it: The premise of Deep Cover is "what if the CIA recruited comedians who specialize in improv instead of actual secret agents due to their unique set of skills?" It's a great set-up that provides plenty of fodder for comedy and the movie takes advantage of it, even if it lacks the energy and actual improvisational comedy you might expect from a movie about improv comedy. Orlando Bloom is hilarious here and absolutely steals the show playing a method actor whose overzealousness gets him into deeper and deeper trouble. Bryce Dallas Howard and Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed score their fair share of laughs, too. The action is less interesting than the comedy, which is often true of these types of flicks, but thankfully, it's funny enough not to be a problem at all. 🍿 What critics are saying: It's a rare unanimous 100% on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication time. Guy Lodge of Variety correctly noted that it's "shakiest, however, when it dips into straight-up action territory, often with a degree of violence that sits uneasily with the cheery comedy elsewhere." Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian said that "there are some laughs and it's always likable." 👀 How to watch: Deep Cover is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Stream on Prime Video My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Cleaner is another great example of the Die Hard but on a ... phenomenon, which I pontificated in a past entry. It's, hilariously, just "Die Hard in a high-rise building, but from the perspective of somebody cleaning the windows outside." As dumb as it sounds, the movie justifies these very silly circumstances well enough. Daisy Ridley in the lead really helps, as does Clive Owen in the Hans Gruber role. The stakes feel particularly high due to the bad guys' motivations, a group of environmental extremists taking matters into their own hands and there are some clever tricks deployed to maintain tension. Veteran action filmmaker Martin Campbell, whose credits include Pierce Brosnan's Goldeneye and Daniel Craig's first foray as James Bond in Casino Royale, directs with workmanlike efficiency. It's a sturdy and entertaining action that uses the familiarity of its story to its advantage. 🍿 What critics are saying: It's a mixed bag. Tomris Laffly at Variety said that "the main attraction is Ridley, whose vigor and charisma are unmissable on a screen of any size. The force is strong with her." William Bibbiani at The Wrap gives it to us straight: "The long and short of it is, Cleaner is just OK. It's a three-star trip down 'Been There, Done That' lane, and it's reasonably entertaining." 👀 How to watch: Cleaner is now streaming on HBO Max. Stream on HBO Max 🤔 If that's not for you... There's some infectious energy and charm here, almost entirely thanks to star Rachel Zegler, who appears alongside many very ugly CGI creatures, hideous backgrounds and all the usual stuff you see in modern blockbusters. She does a ton to elevate the material and it's cute in its best moments. The CGI dwarves sounded like a bad idea on paper but work well in context and their lengthier rendition of 'Heigh-Ho' is a highlight. —Now streaming on Disney+. Liam Neeson has been on autopilot as of late, churning out old-guy action flicks at the same frequent pace that he has since Taken changed his career trajectory, but on a smaller scale, with lower budgets. They're easy to formulate: Liam Neeson is an aging [insert CRIMINAL or COP here] dealing with [debilitating and terminal memory-based illness]. That descriptor absolutely describes Neeson's 2022 flick Memory and it also fits perfectly here. It's pretty forgettable stuff. —Now streaming on Hulu. That's all for this week — see you next Friday at the movies!
