The Life of Chuck
The Life of Chuck is a 2024 American fantasy drama film written for the screen, co-produced, edited, and directed by Mike Flanagan. It is based on the 2020 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill, with narration by Nick Offerman.
The film's plot follows the formative moments in the life of Charles "Chuck" Krantz, chronicled in reverse chronological order, from his death, which is connected to the end of the universe, to his childhood.
The Life of Chuck had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, where it won the People's Choice Award, and was released in select theaters in the United States by Neon on June 6, 2025, before expanding nationwide on June 13. The film has grossed $19million worldwide and received generally positive reviews.
Plot
Act Three: Thanks, Chuck
Middle school teacher Marty Anderson notes unusual things happening around the world, from natural disasters to the worldwide loss of the Internet. Several billboards and advertisements popping up everywhere display the picture of an accountant named Charles "Chuck" Krantz, with the words "Charles Krantz: 39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!". Marty's ex-wife Felicia Gordon calls him and they ponder if the end of the universe is upon them. Marty describes Carl Sagan's Cosmic Calendar, a method to visualise the age of the universe in a single calendar year. Both of them begin seeing more disasters and supernatural occurrences.After losing telephone service and electricity, Marty goes to Felicia's home so they can stay with one another in the universe's final moments, watching as the stars vanish one by one. The end of the universe is revealed to be connected to 39-year-old Chuck, who is bedridden in a hospital, dying from a brain tumor. He is accompanied by his wife Ginny and his son Brian. Chuck passes away as Ginny tells him, "39 great years. Thanks, Chuck". Meanwhile, Marty tells Felicia, "I love you", just as the universe abruptly ends.
Act Two: Buskers Forever
Nine months before his death, Chuck is attending a banking conference. While walking outside, he stumbles upon a busking drummer named Taylor Franck, who sees Chuck and begins drumming for him. He is moved to dance on the spot, attracting a crowd. Janice Halliday, a young woman who had been dumped by her boyfriend via text, joins Chuck and they dance together, although he is momentarily hampered by a headache before continuing on to the crowd's joy.Chuck and Janice help Taylor pack up and the three split the profits at Taylor's insistence. Chuck admits he is unsure why he decided to dance as soon as he heard Taylor's playing. Taylor suggests they form a traveling troupe, but he and Janice decline and the three part ways with a hug. Chuck resumes his day, still pondering why he danced, but in the coming months as his health declines, he has the feeling that the world was made just for that moment.
Act One: I Contain Multitudes
As a young child, Chuck loses his father and pregnant mother in a car crash. He then lives with his paternal grandparents Albie and Sarah. The bright Sarah teaches Chuck how to enjoy dancing. The sardonic Albie turns to alcohol after his son's death, and forbids him to enter their house's cupola, hinting that he had seen the ghosts of people there before they died. During the conversation about this, a TV in the background is showing Carl Sagan describing the Cosmic Calendar. At school, Chuck asks his idealistic teacher Ms. Richards the meaning of the phrase "I contain multitudes" from the Walt Whitman poem "Song of Myself". Richards explains to him that he contains multitudes, with the memories he gains over the course of his life forming a universe in his head.Sarah dies after collapsing in a supermarket, worsening Albie's alcoholism. Inspired by his grandmother, Chuck joins his school's dance extracurricular program "Twirlers and Spinners", where he emerges as the best dancer of the club and teaches them how to moonwalk. Chuck has a crush on Cat McCoy, an older and taller girl who is frequently partnered with him. Despite having a boyfriend, she asks him to share a dance at their school's Fall Fling.
Chuck expresses his interest in pursuing dance to his grandfather, but Albie dismisses him and instead encourages him to be an accountant like him, sharing how math is seen in and necessary in everything. At the Fall Fling, Chuck is hesitant at first, but decides to let loose and dances with Cat in front of the large crowd, earning cheers from everyone including Marty and Felicia, with the former revealed to be a teacher at Chuck's school. After being kissed by Cat, Chuck dances by himself outside in the school field, but he injures his hand in the process which leaves a scar.
Years later Albie dies, leaving the teenaged Chuck to inherit everything, including their house. His maternal grandparents from Omaha travel to stay with him until he goes off to college. Now in possession of the cupola's key, Chuck finally decides to enter it and sees an apparition of himself on his deathbed as an adult, which he identifies through his scar. Despite this, he dismisses his vision, promising to live life to the fullest, saying, "I am wonderful, I deserve to be wonderful, and I contain multitudes."
Cast
- Tom Hiddleston as Charles "Chuck" Krantz, an accountant who grows up loving dancing
- * Jacob Tremblay as 17-year-old Chuck
- * Benjamin Pajak as 11-year-old Chuck
- * Cody Flanagan as 7-year-old Chuck
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Marty Anderson, a middle school teacher and Felicia's ex-husband, later revealed to be a chaperone at the dance
- Karen Gillan as Felicia Gordon, a nurse and Marty's ex-wife
- Mark Hamill as Albie Krantz, Chuck's "zayde" or paternal grandfather who is also an accountant
- Mia Sara as Sarah Krantz, Chuck's "bubbe" or paternal grandmother who inspires Chuck's love for dance
- Nick Offerman as the Narrator
- Carl Lumbly as Sam Yarborough, an elderly mortician Marty encounters, later revealed to be the mortician at Albie's funeral
- Annalise Basso as Janice Halliday, a young woman recovering from a breakup who briefly becomes Chuck's dance partner
- Taylor Gordon / The Pocket Queen as Taylor Franck, a street drummer and busker
- Andy Grush as Mac, Taylor's busker friend and driver
- Kate Siegel as Miss Richards, an idealistic teacher from Marty's school
- Samantha Sloyan as Miss Rohrbacher, the head teacher of "Twirlers and Spinners", the dance program of Chuck's school
- Trinity Bliss as Cat McCoy, a girl whom Chuck has a crush on and is his frequent partner at their dance club
- Matthew Lillard as Gus Wilfong, Marty's neighbor
- Rahul Kohli as Bri, Felicia's colleague at the hospital they work in
- Violet McGraw as Iris, a young girl on roller skates Marty encounters while traveling to Felicia's home
- Heather Langenkamp as Vera Stanley, the neighbor of the Krantz family and the neighborhood gossip
- David Dastmalchian as Josh, a single father grieving his wife leaving him
- Harvey Guillén as Hector, a parent of one of Marty's students
- Q'orianka Kilcher as Virginia "Ginny" Krantz, Chuck's wife and Brian's mother
- Antonio Raul Corbo as Brian Krantz, Chuck's teenage son
- Molly C. Quinn as Chuck's mother, who was pregnant when she died
- Saidah Arrika Ekulona as Andrea, a banker Marty encounters
- Michael Trucco as Dylan's dad
- Amy Biedel as Dylan's mom
- Matt Biedel as Dr. Winston
- Sauriyan Sapkota as Ram, a student of Marty's
- Carla Gugino as news and TV commercial voiceover
- Hamish Linklater as American reporter
- Lauren LaVera as Italian reporter
- Elan Gale as a radio news reporter and the Fall Fling DJ
- Eric Vespe as Radio Host #1
- Scott Wampler as Radio Host #2
- Mike Flanagan as a mourner at Sarah's funeral
Production
Filming
Filming began in Alabama in October 2023, during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, under a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement. Deadline Hollywood reported Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Jacob Tremblay had been added to the cast. Flanagan announced the full cast on his social media a few days later. Filming wrapped on November 16, 2023.In December 2023, it was revealed that Flanagan would also serve as editor, as he had done in his previous films. In April 2024, the Newton Brothers, frequent collaborators of Flanagan, were announced to be serving as composers.