Despite the presence of three Marvel Cinematic Universe stars — Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, and Chiwetel Ejiofor — The Life of Chuck didn’t exactly break box office records upon its theatrical release earlier in 2025. The movie was coming off of an impressive People’s Choice Award win at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was marketed as a change of pace for fans of Stephen King, upon whose short story it was based. Directed by Mike Flanagan, who’d made a couple of King adaptations already, the film will seek redemption when it debuts on Netflix UK next month. The Life of Chuck is among the best-reviewed King adaptations ever, and was released in a year filled with something for every kind of fan that the celebrated author has attracted over the decades.
Starring Hiddleston as a man whose life is chronicled in reverse, the movie revolves around a grand centerpiece musical sequence that is one for the ages. It currently holds a “certified fresh” 80% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Showing a sweeter side of director Mike Flanagan’s deeply-felt emotional register, The Life of Chuck is a buoyant and often wonderful adaptation of one of Stephen King’s more cosmically optimistic tales.” In his review, Collider’s Jason Gorber wrote, “King has crafted a philosophically rich, emotionally deep, intensely joyful narrative that in this adaptation feels like the culmination of Flanagan’s craft.”
Mike Flanagan Is Staying in the Stephen King Business
The Life of Chuck generated under $20 million at the global box office, making it the lowest-grossing King adaptation of 2025. However, according to RT, it’s the 12th-best-reviewed King adaptation ever made, with this year’s The Long Walk topping the list, which currently includes nearly 70 movies. Also released this year were the dark comedy horror film The Monkey and the action film The Running Man, with IT: Welcome to Derry and The Institute entertaining audiences on TVs at home. Flanagan had previously directed the King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep; he’s now putting together television adaptations of Carrie and The Dark Tower, both of which have been adapted previously.
You can watch the movie on Netflix in the United Kingdom and other countries beginning January, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
-
May 30, 2025
- Runtime
-
110 minutes