Filmmaker Mike Flanagan has already created quite a legacy for himself. From his films like Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game, to shows like The Fall of the House of Usher, Midnight Mass, and The Haunting of Hill House, Flanagan has basically become his own brand, especially in the horror genre. And yet, even though he’s also attached to films or shows in the worlds of The Exorcist, Carrie, The Dark Tower, and Batman, none of that is what he thinks he’ll be remembered for.
No, Flanagan thinks his next movie, The Life of Chuck, is going to be that legacy. Or, at least, that’s what he hopes. “There are very few pieces of work that I imagine will outlive me in a meaningful way,” Flanagan wrote in excerpts of an essay released on social media. “You always hope they will; we hope that in telling the stories we tell, we are planting a seed that will grow long after we’ve faded away. I have no idea which of these seeds will take root with people, and dwelling on those questions is a path to insanity. I feel a quiet, humble confidence that The Life of Chuck will long outlast us all.”
For those who may not be aware, The Life of Chuck is based on a short story by the one and only Stephen King. It tells the story of one man’s life—in this case, Chuck—backwards. Tom Hiddleston plays Chuck in some parts of the movie, and he’s joined by the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill, among many others.
“The Life of Chuck is, at this moment in time, my favorite movie I’ve ever been a part of,” Flanagan, who adapted the screenplay and directs, continues. “I told people going into production that this was the film I wanted to leave in the world for my children. It is so rare to work on something so meaningful, so unique, so distinct, and so earnest. This is a story without a cynical bone in its body. What a rare and beautiful moment of art.”
The film won the very prestigious People’s Choice Award at last year’s Toronto Film Festival and is coming to theaters June 6. Plus, I have to say, I agree with Flanagan here. I’ve seen The Life of Chuck and while it’s a complex thinker of a movie, it’s also rich and absolutely phenomenal. It’s stuck with me weeks after first seeing it. io9 will have a full review and more as we get closer to release, but until then, here’s a new clip from the film that is not only crucial to the movie overall, but will give you a sense of what Flanagan is saying.
A whole universe right between your hands. THE LIFE OF CHUCK. From the hearts and souls of Mike Flanagan and Stephen King. In Select Cities 6.6, Everywhere 6.13. pic.twitter.com/hyn3wMslKm
— NEON (@neonrated) May 19, 2025
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