The Life of Chuck came and went in theaters last summer with barely an audience to speak of, because it was only in limited release in the U.S.
But the people who have seen this Stephen King adaptation are more than likely to rave about it.
This isn’t a horror flick or a straight-forward coming-of-age drama — instead, it’s brief snapshots from the life of Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston).
It’s also one of the best films I’ve seen in 2025, and the one movie you should stream right away now that it’s on Hulu.
The Cast Is Terrific Across the Board
Hiddleston may have top billing, but he has a shockingly small part in the film and doesn’t immediately enter the picture. The first part of the film is all about Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his ex-wife, Felicia (Karen Gillan), as the world — and maybe the universe itself — comes to an untimely end. Ejiofor and Gillan are both excellent as two people grasping at any reason to keep going while finding their way back to each other.
Room‘s Jacob Tremblay plays a teenage Chuck late in the movie, but one of the standout performances belongs to newcomer Benjamin Pajak as ten-year-old Chuck. This kid is going to be a star, and he brought so much life to the part when it was his turn to play the character. Mark Hamill also gives one of his best turns as Chuck’s grandfather, Albie Krantz. He’s a haunted man who has seen too much, and yet his love for his grandson shines through even when he’s angry.
Of course, Hiddleston is excellent as always when he finally gets something to do in the film. The story unfolds in reverse chronological order, so we don’t see Chuck in his prime as an adult until the second act. It takes a special moment for Chuck to rediscover something that used to be important to him, and then he embraces it with everything he’s got. It’s glorious.
‘The Life of Chuck’ Is 2025’s Most Uplifting Movie
As you can see in the clip above, Chuck’s passion was for dancing, and he’s great at it. Most of the second act revolves around the dance that Chuck shares with a complete stranger, Janice Halliday (Annalise Basso). Along with a street drummer named Taylor Franck (Taylor Gordon), this unlikely trio finds something magical together that’s fleeting, but wonderful to watch.
The first act goes back to Chuck’s childhood and reveals why dancing meant so much to him and how it led to one of the greatest moments in his life. It’s not really about the dancing, it’s about how it makes him feel, and how it makes other people feel. Too many people would argue that these are the things that aren’t important in life. But if they bring joy, there’s nothing more important than that, and the best moments of The Life of Chuck remind the viewer of why life is worth living at all. In times of doom and gloom, that’s a powerful message.
It’s a Stephen King Story After All
If the end of existence in the first act wasn’t a big enough clue, this is definitely a Stephen King story, and there is the whiff of something supernatural that’s never fully explained. We’re not going to spoil the final twist for you, but it’s not even meant to be a shocking game-changer like the ones that films like The Sixth Sense have pulled on the audience.
Through the voices of their characters, King and writer/director Mike Flanagan tell the audience exactly what’s waiting for Chuck if he doesn’t follow his grandfather’s warning. It’s not meant to be a surprise, and it’s the entire reason why the story unfolds in reverse order. What could have been a downer ending is transformed into something brighter. And there aren’t enough movies that can elicit that kind of response.
The Life of Chuck is streaming on Hulu.
