The Life of Chuck is a new film that premiered wide this weekend, but initially had its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, where it won the People’s Choice Award. Written & directed by Mike Flanagan, and based on a novella of the same name by Stephen King, the film stars Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill. In this extraordinary story of an ordinary man, Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.

I’ve been excited for The Life of Chuck for quite some time now ever since it had its debut last year. Between the glowing reviews and knowing Mike Flanagan directed it, I was locked in. I was surprised, and thrilled, knowing that Flanagan would direct a Stephen King adaptation that wasn’t a horror. Unfortunately, the film got pushed out a year, which can always be a tricky thing when saying if this is a 2024 or 2025 movie. Since it truly got its wide release this year, I am going to say 2025. As it stands, this is truly one of the best movies of the year.

I already had a lot of expectations going into this, but the extraordinary story that’s told not only made me feel levitated, but pulled into its story from start to finish. Based on the marketing, I got the idea that this was going to be something that would explore the meaning of the universe. The universe has been a concept that I have strongly believed in for about the past decade or so. It’s been so hard to explain in what I believe in when it comes to the universe, and very rarely does a film speak directly to me on the universe…until now.

From its opening act, the film starts off with three acts and tells its story in reverse. Based on what you see in the beginning, it’s hard to tell where the story is going, especially when you know this is the third act of the overall story. You get some hints throughout this act as the world starts to fall apart. As others are dealing with the end of the world, everyone sees signs celebrating Chuck for 39 great years, but no one knows who this person is. The reveal as to what’s really going on here helps paint the idea of who Chuck really is.

The second act finds Chuck as a full grown adult, played by Tom Hiddleston. It’s a significant scene that shows Chuck fully embracing his life and being free with who he is. The second act is really the second act no matter how you look at the story. I am going to skip right into the third act as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. The third act helps the story find closure and finds a brilliant way to bring it back to the way the film started.

I loved the way the film played out with its structure. The film knows when to cut back and forth at the right given time. It’s someone looking back at the life he lead with the time that he was given. Chuck was sort of lucky in a way to see life through this universe. This mindset gave him the tool to not only endure the pain he dealt with in life. It also allowed him to fully embrace life to the fullest extent.

As an accountant myself, that was another component I could relate to. Chuck comes to the realization that in order to embrace life, he needs to provide a living. Even though he might not like it, he does it to provide a good life for those he loves. He also knows how to embrace his creative side through music, dancing, and storytelling. I play the bass guitar and love to write, so I could relate to two of these things. While there was plenty here that I could relate to, I think others will still resonate with it with its overall message: life is short. Live it to the fullest extent.

Director Mike Flanagan crafts a new Stephen King adaptation that will one day become a classic through who helped work on the film. I could see others feelings like the ensemble cast may be too large, but I promise you every one serves an important part to the story. It’s impressive who Flanagan brings together here. There are several actors here that he has worked with in the past that he brings back here. He still somehow manages to bring the right performances out of the talent given that it’s not a horror film, although there is one scene that had a horror-like quality to it. Flanagan knows how to faithfully adapt Stephen King’s story to life.

While the cast here is able to all stand out, Hiddleston stands out amongst the rest, and for good reason. The dance sequence that you’ve seen in the trailers shows how much action Hiddleston can put into his performance. I was impressed by how well choreographed it was and how it flowed seamlessly. I could only imagine it required multiple takes. This film puts Hiddleston in a new light when it comes to what he can do. As for other technical components used in the film, the cinematography manages to capture each shot with the right atmosphere, while the score creates a lifting & soaring score throughout.

Overall, I already had high expectations, and The Life of Chuck still managed to exceed them, crafting one of, if not, the best movie of the year. The structure creates a unique perspective that will make other view life differently, while it spoke to someone like me directly. It’s very rare to get a film like this, and it may be a while until we get one like this again. In the meantime, it’s safe to say this is a new Stephen King classic.

VERDICT: 5/5 (Perfect)