SXSW London 2025: The Life of Chuck
Stephen King has not only shaped entire literary genres and tickled the amygdala of billions of readers, but rarely has a contemporary writer’s work passed through the hands of such a wide variety of filmmakers. From authorised film students (farewell, Dollar Baby programme) to icons in their own realm (Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg, Brian De Palma, to name a few), countless have braved the transposition from page to the screen – with varying degrees of success. But every once in a generation, there seems to be a director perfectly in tune with the author’s frequency, whose creative interpretation wins over fans and “the king of horror” alike.
Walking in the footsteps of Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist), Mike Flanagan’s latest is his third King adaptation after Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep.
Taken from the novella collection If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck is told in reverse order of events, starting with Act Three. It’s one of those cases where the less you know about the plot, the better. As global events point to the world coming to an end (California is peeling away after a number of earthquakes, places like Florida and Italy have been affected by floods, and a volcano erupted in Germany), Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is haunted by the face of a man unfamiliar to him. The individual in question is Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), and no matter the location, billboards, radio ads and television inserts all wish to thank him for 39 great years.
A voice-over narration in Act Two informs us that Chuck Krantz is “scrupulously faithful” to his wife – a sentiment echoed by Flanagan towards the source material. Apart from the occasional gender-flipped character inviting a more diverse cast, and an emotional beat transferred to Ejiofor for nuance, the film meticulously sticks to the original text. This is evidenced by the aforementioned narrator. Treating King’s words as sacred scripture, it also implies a certain distrust in the visual interpretation to stand on its own feet, when Flanagan can afford to be much more confident in his vision and bolder in his execution.
However, because The Life of Chuck is easily the best thing King has written this past decade, the quality of the work can’t help but rub off on the film. Once again, the acclaimed storyteller has managed to infuse the horrors of our world with utter magic, and in scenes such as Chuck dancing to a busker’s drum improvisation, this feeling translates onto the screen. A number of beautiful performances tie together the heartfelt inner life of the feature, with Mark Hamill and Mia Sara among the standouts. Even if every now and again, the sheer intensity of emotion the actors display may tread close to melodramatic territory, their work remains deeply affecting.
At its world premiere at the 2024 TIFF, The Life of Chuck won the festival’s audience award (beating Oscar-winner-to-be Anora), an early testament to its far-reaching potential. Flanagan was a little too precious with the source material for it to become the masterpiece many have already come to anticipate, thereby resulting in an outstanding adaptation instead of outstanding cinema. Nevertheless, sincere in its wonder and affirmation, The Life of Chuck is a beacon for anyone on the verge of losing hope.
Selina Sondermann
The Life of Chuck is released nationwide on 22nd August 2025.
Watch the trailer for The Life of Chuck here:
https://youtu.be/h7YABBTStds
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
RSS