The Life of Chuck
Movie, 2024, Directed, Set in A life told backwards
The Life of Chuck is #13 of 16 in release order and #13 of 16 in chronological order in the Mike Flanagan.
The story
In this extraordinary story of an ordinary man, Charles 'Chuck' Krantz experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
The Life of Chuck recap
The Life of Chuck (2024) is Mike Flanagan's film of a Stephen King novella, told in three acts in reverse order, with Tom Hiddleston as Charles "Chuck" Krantz, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Mark Hamill, narrated by Nick Offerman. In Act Three, the world is ending, the internet is gone, and billboards everywhere read "Charles Krantz: 39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!" Act Two jumps back nine months, as Chuck, an accountant, stops for a street drummer and dances with a stranger. Act One shows his childhood with his grandparents after his parents die, his love of dancing, and the cupola his grandfather forbids him to enter.
The Life of Chuck ending explained
The end of the world is the end of Chuck: he is dying of a brain tumor at 39, and the universe was the one he contained. In Act One, after his grandfather dies, teenage Chuck finally opens the cupola and sees himself on his deathbed, recognising the scar on his hand. He refuses to be afraid and promises to live fully: "I am wonderful, I deserve to be wonderful, and I contain multitudes."
Where to watch The Life of Chuck
The Life of Chuck is streaming on Hulu and Kanopy in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 80%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Fall of the House of Usher, before Shelby Oaks.
- Chronological order: after The Fall of the House of Usher, before Shelby Oaks.
Cast
- Tom Hiddleston as Charles 'Chuck' Krantz
- Benjamin Pajak as Charles 'Chuck' Krantz
- Nick Offerman as Narrator (voice)
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Marty Anderson
- Karen Gillan as Felicia Gordon
- Mia Sara as Sarah Krantz
- Mark Hamill as Albie Krantz
- Annalise Basso as Janice Halliday
- Jacob Tremblay as Charles 'Chuck' Krantz
- Cody Flanagan as Charles 'Chuck' Krantz
- Samantha Sloyan as Miss Rohrbacher
- Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Cat McCoy
Directed by Mike Flanagan.