When most people hear or read the name Stephen King, the first word that comes to mind is horror. However, let us not forget that the prolific author has written several stories that have nothing to do with that genre. Several of these stories have already been adapted into movies. The films Stand by Me, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile are among the best King adaptations ever captured on film.
Filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who has adapted such horror stories by King as Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, is back with a new King adaptation. The story is The Life of Chuck, and most King fans have already deemed this story unadaptable for the cinema. Well, Flanagan, a skilled filmmaker and captivating storyteller, has proven them wrong. Though I have never read the source material, Flanagan has made a truly remarkable film with his adaptation.
The story is told in reverse, beginning with a bewildering yet intriguing act that occurs at the end of the world. In this world, the characters become aware that a man named Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) is finally retiring after thirty-nine years of service. The following two acts provide a mostly complete and intimate look at how Charles “Chuck” Krantz was as a child (Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan) and a teenager (Jacob Tremblay) and how he became the man people know and love.
Though this movie sounds like a mixture of the bizarre and mundane, that is not exactly true. The presentation of a character’s life in this manner is unique and unusual but in the most intriguing and imaginative ways. There is an element of fantasy here, combined with the realities of life, heartbreak, and eventual demise. Flanagan does a fantastic job presenting what could have been a fundamental and dull story; however, being the King superfan that he is, Flanagan pours a tremendous amount of heart into this project.
The same goes for the phenomenal cast. Every single actor in this film invested a great deal of love and passion into their performance. Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, Cody Flanagan, and Benjamin Pajak are all fantastic as Chuck Krantz throughout his various stages of life. I also enjoyed the work of Chiwetel Ejiorford and Karen Gillan, who portray multiple roles in this story. Chuck’s paternal grandparents, Mia Sara, and Mark Hamill, give excellent performances. Nick Offerman narrates the film with his warm, golden voice.
If my review seems too cryptic, the movie/story is best discovered with as little knowledge as possible. One may call The Life of Chuck another sentimental break from horror by Stephen King, but to do so dismisses the meaning of his words and the power of this seemingly simple adaptation to move people and fill their hearts. It is, arguably, Mike Flanagan’s best adaptation of Stephen King and is one of the best movies of 2025.