The Life of Chuck, directed by Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) and starring Tom Hiddleston (Thor), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars) is an adaptation of the Stephen King short story of the same name. While King is most often associated with horror, works like The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile remind us of his gift for deeply human drama. Flanagan’s film continues that tradition, offering a meditation on memory, mortality, and the beauty of fleeting moments. I entered the cinema with high expectations, and the film did not disappoint. It premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and closed the Galway Film Fleadh in July.

The film unfolds in reverse, beginning with Act Three before moving backward through Chuck Krantz’s (Tom Hiddleston) life as an accountant and ultimately arriving at his childhood. The opening act shows us a collapsing world, earthquakes split California, the internet has gone dark, and society is unravelling. Amid this chaos, we meet Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a weary schoolteacher, and Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan), an emergency room nurse. Once married but now separated, the two reconnect in the face of catastrophe. Their story is punctuated by mysterious billboards and messages flashing across screens, “Thanks, Chuck, for 39 wonderful years.”

From there, the film rewinds into Act Two, which captures one of Chuck’s most joyful moments. He encounters a street drummer whose beat compels him to dance, joined by a stranger who shares in the spontaneous joy. This scene, brimming with warmth and music, becomes all the more poignant when we move into Act One where we meet young Chuck, a boy discovering his love of dance and imagination. The child actor portraying him, Benjamin Pajak who starred alongside Hugh Jackman in The Music Man on Broadway, brings an innocence and vibrancy that grounds the entire narrative. Through these moments, Flanagan shows us how small joys and connections ripple throughout a life.

The film is beautifully shot, with a blend of intimacy and atmosphere. The direction allows quiet moments to breathe. The performances are uniformly strong particularly from Benjamin Pajak as the young Chuck. Together they embody lives touched by love, loss, and resilience.

After speaking to others afterwards who attended the screening, this is the kind of film audiences will either love or dismiss. For me, it was profoundly moving. It is not only about Chuck but about all of us, the lives we lead, the dreams we follow or abandon, the connections we make or miss. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself reflecting on my own choices. It’s a film that lingers long after the credits roll and demands a second viewing.

It is still early in awards season, but I believe The Life of Chuck has a good chance at Oscar nominations next year and would highly recommend everyone to see.

THE LIFE OF CHUCK will be released in cinemas across Ireland and the UK on 20 August 2025.

  • Directed by: Mike Flanagan
  • Written by: Mike Flanagan and Stephen King
  • Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill
  • Running Time: 1hr 51min
  • Released: US June, 13th 2025 | UK & IE Aug. 20th 2025
  • Rated: R

Review by Claire Millane, a Dublin based actor and comedian. Follow on YouTube at COMEDYBreakz

Life of Chuck Trailer