Mike Flanagan is trading jump scares for gut punches in his latest film The Life of Chuck, and he’s bringing Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and more along for the ride. Hiddleston’s characters life is the center of this genre-defying adaptation of Stephen King’s novella from If It Bleeds, and the first full trailer just dropped ahead of the film’s June 6 release via Neon.
Flanagan, known for haunting hits like Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, takes a softer—yet no less powerful—approach this time around. Told in reverse, The Life of Chuck unpacks the story of Charles Krantz (Hiddleston) from his death back to his childhood, celebrating love, community, and the seemingly ordinary moments that end up meaning everything.
Ejiofor and Karen Gillan play Marty and Felicia, a divorced couple whose lives are unravelled by the quiet mystery surrounding Chuck. As the film travels backward through Chuck’s timeline, it paints a portrait of a man who contained multitudes—and of the people who helped shape his journey.
Chuck’s early years were spent with his grandparents Albie and Sarah, played by Mark Hamill and Mia Sara, who raised him on a steady diet of music, dancing, and practical life lessons. “The world loves dancers—but it needs accountants,” Albie tells young Chuck, a sentiment that hits harder the further back we go.
Joining the ensemble are Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, Heather Langenkamp, and Nick Offerman, who also narrates the film. Multiple actors, including Pajak, Tremblay, and Cody Flanagan, portray Chuck at different life stages, capturing the evolution of one soul through many seasons.
In a glowing review from TIFF, Deadline’s Damon Wise called the film a slow burn but praised its emotional payoff: “It might be a test of patience for the less imaginative, but it builds to an impressively upbeat conclusion, despite the underlying pathos of the scenario as a whole.”
Neon acquired The Life of Chuck after its People’s Choice Award win at the Toronto International Film Festival. It’s already being compared to emotionally resonant Stephen King adaptations like The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me, rather than the horror staples Flanagan usually tackles.
And while it’s not a horror flick, The Life of Chuck has plenty to say about the unknown. “When you look up at the night sky, it can tell you stuff about your future,” Chuck’s grandfather says in the trailer. “It won’t lie to you—it’s pure that way. You might see a lot more than you want to.”
This one’s for the dreamers, the overthinkers, the ones who know life’s biggest stories are often told in the smallest of moments. And come June 6, we’ll all get to look up.