The Life of Chuck
Directed by Mike FlanaganA life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.
Cast of The Life of Chuck
The Life of Chuck Ratings & Reviews
- Alex | Pop Culture BrainJune 13, 2025Do not let anyone spoil this movie for you Because if you can go in cold, you’re in for an amazing experience I saw The Life of Chuck So here's the good and the bad without spoilers This is a huge cliche, but this movie is literally why we go to the movies To see humanity and the human condition reflected back at us Mike Flanagan, using Stephen King’s source material has delivered The profound, expansive, and magical type of film I am always looking for Simply put, The Life of Chuck Deeply is moving perhaps soul rattling filmmaking When the credits stopped rolling, I could feel my heart pounding Just from the sheer magnitude of it King and Flanagan pull off this magic trick Where the writing affects you in one way in the first half of the movie But then it all grows and deepens after you've taken everything in The meaning and themes unfold and reveal themselves in these resonant circular ripples That just really got me — But that was also because I knew absolutely nothing going in I hadn’t seen a single trailer or even read a logline And that is the best way to see this movie, because the surprises are wonderful The whole cast is really instrumental in pulling this off Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillen, Mia Sara, Mark Hamill, Carl Lumbly But shout ot to Matthew Lillard who really shocked me with his one scene If I had to find flaws, the movie relies a bit heavily on narration Though they've got Nick Offerman doing it, so that's a plus And the pacing felt a tad sluggish in the third act But those are such minor nitpicks For what is easily one of my favorite movies of the year so far
- Kit LazerJune 12, 2025Part masterpiece, part a poem your philosophy major buddy would write while smoking a blunt, 100% concentrated power of will. It’s beautiful. Flanastans rejoice! We got the whole cast back together and a bunch of lovely existential monologues.
- MikeRotch1d agoI never read the short story, but I see that this COULD have been a GREAT story if done correctly. Ultimately, bad pacing, scenes that were supposed to be profound but ended up falling very flat, and bad direction (like having the narrotor over explain things, and gloss over others) just ruined this movie for me. The first act (act 3) captivated me, but as the 2nd act unfolded, I was already bored. I was hoping the last act (act 1) would redeem the movie but it did not. There was no emotional impact to ANY scene or death. I could go more in depth in my analysis on why so many scenes disappoint but I don't want any spoliers in my review. I just want to say that for me, too much effort was put into scenes that didn't matter, and not enough effort was put into scenes that should have mattered. The acting was great up and down the cast. I could have seen this movie being so profound as being the next Forrest Gump which I give a 10/10...but yah The Life of Chuck, 4/10 for me.
- vangh12d agoI am obsessed with the act structure of this movie. When it opened on Act 3 my Jaw dropped. I may have literally gasped. I was shook that they would just start at the end. And I'm not talking an in medias reas snippet, but the whole third Act! And as the movie played out, as one's brain always does, I started reorganizing the chronology in my mind and thinking about how it would play if we were just given it straight. And I don't think this movie works AT ALL in that scenario! Act 2 becomes depressing despite it's tone and Act 3 is completely drained of any potency. It has to be told backward to work. In which case, can it even be said to be backward? I mean, yes, we're clearly jumping back through the narrative, but where some stories use time skips and jumps to enhance meaning, understanding or impact, I don't think this movie has much of anything without the exact conceit of structure they used. Absolutely blown away. I liked it well enough leaving the theatre but the more I think about it, it just keeps growing on me. I upgraded it from a 3.5 to a 4 the next day.
- thomasrogers753July 8, 2025That dancing scene actually had me moving in my seat, I couldn’t stop smiling Mark Hamill gives a fantastic performance The movies shows that life is special and how important it is to see what you can do in your life
- Megan CruzJune 30, 2025I was really primed to love this one but ultimately almost none of it worked for me. Feels like the ultimate example of a short story that just doesn’t have the necessary sauce to be expanded into a feature film. The voiceover was exhausting & trite. The “twist” felt incredible obvious and the characters gave me nothing. Wish I liked it.
- Austin BurkeJune 30, 2025This is a stunningly unique experience. Mike Flanagan weaves a bold, unconventional journey through Chuck’s life, blending risky storytelling with distinctive style. This emotionally resonant film showcases Flanagan’s growth as a filmmaker, delivering his signature heart. While the story leaves some questions about its title character unanswered, the subtle, grounded moments feel deeply satisfying. The first act sets a high bar, but The Life of Chuck sustains its emotional core until the final frame
- Kevin WardJune 30, 2025I wanted to love this. Between the TIFF buzz, the glowing reviews, my longstanding love for Mike Flanagan’s work, and the fact that I tend to prefer Stephen King’s non-horror stories—this should’ve been a slam dunk. But The Life of Chuck never quite hit me the way it wanted to. The final act (which is actually the first chronologically) is easily the strongest: mysterious, mournful, tinged with existential dread as the world seems to quietly crumble. It sets up an intriguing tone—a sort of dreamy apocalyptic vignette that suggests a deeper emotional payoff to come. But as we work backward through Chuck’s life, each act filling in the context of this dying universe, the cumulative effect just didn’t resonate with me. There’s no shortage of emotional signposting—wistful dance numbers, multitudes of monologues—I see what it’s trying to do. I hear the strings being tugged. But I didn’t feel it. Maybe it’s just me. But I kept waiting for that Flanagan magic—that grace note of sorrow or catharsis that usually floors me—and it never arrived. Expectations may have gotten the best of me with this one.
- NirupamJune 19, 2025SAMANTHA SLOYAN IN A SUIT
- JoelJune 2, 2025One of those movie that reminds you how beautifully delicate and special life is. This movie takes you on a journey, and if you’re down to go for the ride all the pieces come together in a way that just makes you feel like everything’s gonna be ok. I think this one will play even better for me on rewatch knowing what I do now. Everyone really knocks it out of the park acting wise, but man it’s so nice seeing a new great Mark Hamill performance.
- RickJune 2, 2025What a wonderful movie. So many great moments. I won’t give anything away, because watching how this film unfolds in an unconventional way is a big part of its charm. I will say I thought the first act was very compelling, but didn’t like how it ended. It felt like a waste. By the time the credits rolled I realized it was perfect.
