Rebecca Sayce
Published January 9, 2026 5:41pm
Updated January 9, 2026 5:42pm
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Previous Page Next PageMike Flanagan’s ‘masterpiece’ film, based on a novel by Stephen King, is now finally streaming on Netflix.
The Life of Chuck follows the titular Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz, played by Tom Hiddleston, in reverse order from his impending death to his childhood.
Far from what you may expect from the Master of Horror, the film focuses on the moments of human joy and connection throughout his life, boasting an all-star cast featuring Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Jacob Tremblay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Other huge names that appear include Nick Offerman, Annalise Basso, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Violet McGraw, Heather Langenkamp, and Rahul Kohli.
It is the third of King’s works that Oculus director Flanagan has adapted, following Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep.
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But it won’t be the last time Flanagan brings King to the big screen – or small screen – with the genre icon creating a Carrie TV show.
The Life of Chuck, based on the novel by Stephen King, has arrived on Netflix (Picture: AP)
Directed by Mike Flanagan, it tells the story of the titular everyman in reverse order, from his death to childhood (Picture: AP)
The Life of Chuck premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024, where it won the People’s Choice Award.
It proved a hit with fans and critics alike following its theatre release in 2025, currently sitting at an impressive 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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.’
Awards Radar branded the film a ‘masterpiece’ and an ‘absolute miracle’, adding: ‘Flanagan engages just about every emotion one can have while engaging with cinema. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most fulfilling films to come along in a great long while. It’s the type of movie that may actually save lives, that’s how important it could become to viewers that let it in.’
In their review, Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo said on their podcast: ‘It’s a musing film and an amusing film, but it’s also beautifully poignant and profound.’
Following its 2024 premiere, The Life of Chuck proved a huge hit with critics and fans alike (Picture: AP)
More Stephen King adaptations to stream right now
- ‘Masterpiece’ Oscar-winning Stephen King film arrives on Amazon Prime Video
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- ‘Masterpiece’ Stephen King film arrives on Netflix ahead of eagerly-anticipated remake
- Stephen King’s ‘unrelentingly bleak and utterly brutal’ new horror movie is finally here
- Film hailed as ‘greatest movie of all time’ makes streaming comeback
- ‘Vicious’ Stephen King horror with 85% Rotten Tomatoes score is a must-watch this weekend
Empire wrote: ‘Part end-of-the-world drama, part musical, part coming-of-age ghost story, The Life Of Chuck won’t please everyone. But, if you open yourself to its brazen sincerity, you might just shed a life-affirming tear or two.’
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The Atlantic added: ‘I fell for the film’s earnest insistence that each of us has access to an inner world no one else can ever fully know; that message, as trite as it may be, is particularly touching because of its pointed delivery.’
Meanwhile, Vulture said: ‘The film’s driving ideas, which transform over the course of the picture, are replete with ironic potential, but Flanagan ably navigates the tonal minefield, never presenting the whole thing as a wink-wink joke on his characters.’
The Life of Chuck is available to stream now on Netflix
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