The Life of Chuck is essentially Stephen King’s version of The Tree of Life meets The Twilight Zone. It’s a cosmic, universe-encompassing film that does everything it sets out to do—brilliantly.
Director Mike Flanagan knows King’s material well; he previously adapted Doctor Sleep to the big screen and Gerald’s Game for a Netflix movie. Here, Flanagan proves he’s just as capable of delivering a “softer, headier” King story. This is Flanagan’s sweetest film—and his most trippy as well.
The movie—like the King story that showed up in his collection If It Bleeds—is presented in three acts, chronologically in reverse. Act 1 shows the world in quite the pickle, with California falling into the ocean, the internet going down forever, and gigantic sink holes opening up under main streets in small towns.
School teacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is coping with the end of the world in a surprisingly odd, calm manner. He is not happy about what’s going on, and neither are his ex-wife, Felicia (Karen Gillan), and neighbor Gus (Matthew Lillard), but their attitude is devoid of panic. They seem a bit resigned, and even a little tired, in regard to what is happening all around them.
On top of the apocalyptic events, they keep spotting and hearing ads for an unknown gentleman named Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston). Billboards, bus-bench ads, TV spots and radio commercials are popping up everywhere, congratulating Krantz for 39 years.
Krantz, as depicted in the visual ads, looks like a book-smart guy doing his morning routine, with a cup of coffee and big smile on his face. The guy must be retiring, and his employer must’ve really loved him. Everybody sees this dude’s billboards, but nobody knows who he is.
Act Two gives us more details on Chuck. He’s an accountant—and he’s a kickass dancer. When visiting a small town for a convention, he comes upon a street busker playing the drums. Rather than passing her by, the beat catches him; he starts to groove; and then he performs a master class in many forms of dance while townspeople cheer him on. It’s a big moment for Chuck, one that reminds him of his youth.
And that’s what we see in the final act—Chuck’s childhood, when his grandmother (Mia Sara … Sloane from Ferris Bueller came out of retirement for this film!) taught him how to dance; these are some of his most cherished memories. Those dance lessons lead to a triumphant moment at a prom where, in a moment similar to his dance-off in the street later in life, he shows off his impeccable dancing feet.
How do these acts tie together? What’s this all about? Why did Flanagan cast the likes of Mia Sara (Sloane!), Heather Langenkamp (Nancy from A Nightmare on Elm Street) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker!), major stars of cinema 40 years ago, in standout roles (in which they all excel)? Why, I can’t tell you, of course. You must see the movie.
The box-office receipts say that not too many people have seen the movie, which is a shame. Why in the heck did the studio decide to drop this into the busy summer movie season? This is a fall release, and it needed a serious marketing campaign rather than ads that made it look like a movie musical. This is a profound, meaty, deep movie that has surely gotten lost in the summer-blockbuster shuffle.
It will be available to stream soon, I’m sure. One of the messages the film conveys that I can share is that life goes by fast. Your ability to watch The Life of Chuck at home will be upon you in the blink of an eye. When you do see it, be prepared for one of the more unique and stunning films of 2025.
