REVIEW: “The Life of Chuck” (2025)

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In 2025, Mike Flanagan, known for writing, directing, producing, and editing, adapted a lesser-known but touching story by Stephen King. “The Life of Chuck” was a previously unreleased novella King published in 2020 as part of the collection “If It Bleeds.” The story is unusual and captivating, taking unexpected turns, and the film follows this same surprising path.

Flanagan bravely took on the challenge of adapting King’s story, which unfolds in three parts, each set at a crucial moment in time. He made the bold choice to tell these parts in reverse order – starting with the end and working backward. While this initially seems like a needless trick, Flanagan, like King, uses this structure to deepen the emotional impact and raise interesting questions for the audience.

Nick Offerman narrates this thought-provoking story, beginning with a section called “Thanks, Chuck.” We’re introduced to a world facing total collapse, starting with a major earthquake in Northern California. This triggers a chain reaction of disasters: floods, sinkholes, volcanic activity, unusual animal deaths, and even people taking their own lives. Soon after, the internet fails, taking down television, cell service, and power grids in cities around the globe.

The story unfolds primarily through the experiences of Marty Anderson, a middle school teacher played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and his former wife, Felicia, played by Karen Gillan. Instead of focusing on the disasters themselves, the series explores how these events affect Marty, Felicia, and those around them. Everyone is uncertain about the future, but they’re all connected by a shared curiosity: who is Charles Krantz, the man on all the billboards being thanked for 39 years of service?

The second act, called “Buskers Forever,” jumps back nine months in time. We’re introduced to Charles “Chuck” Krantz (played by Tom Hiddleston), a quiet accountant who is in town for a week-long banking conference. However, he’s distracted by the music of a street drummer named Taylor (Taylor Gordon). Chuck unexpectedly starts dancing, and he’s soon joined by Janice (Annalise Basso), a woman who is upset after a recent breakup of sixteen months.

The movie suddenly launches into a long dance number, which feels very different from what came before and doesn’t immediately connect to the story. However, it’s full of life and excitement, and it reveals a surprising new talent from the director, Flanagan. As the movie ends, it becomes clear how the dance sequence actually connects to the film’s main ideas and adds emotional depth.

The first part of the story, called “I Contain Multitudes,” shows us what Chuck’s childhood was like. When he was just seven years old, his parents tragically died in a car accident. He was then lovingly raised by his grandparents, Albie and Sarah, played by Mark Hamill and Mia Sara. The series beautifully portrays the bond between Chuck and his grandmother, with Mia Sara delivering a particularly warm and caring performance. A bit of intrigue is also introduced, centered around a strange cupola on top of their old Victorian house.

The first part of “The Life of Chuck” might feel confusing and even a little frustrating, but the story gradually unfolds and becomes clearer. The questions it raises become more thought-provoking, and its underlying themes become more complex. While the story doesn’t need to jump around in time, this approach keeps you engaged and lets the director explore the characters in interesting ways. The cast doesn’t have a lot of screen time individually, but every performance is strong and adds genuine emotion to this strange and captivating story. It feels like all it needs is an introduction from Rod Serling, like something out of “The Twilight Zone.”

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2025-12-31 18:58