Mike Flanagan's 'The Life of Chuck' Scores High on Rotten Tomatoes

The Life of Chuck premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and has already impressed critics. Although the film has a limited number of reviews at this point, the initial responses are promising, maintaining Mike Flanagan's perfect Rotten Tomatoes streak. The film currently holds an 80% score based on 10 reviews, which qualifies it as "fresh." If this score remains at 75% or above, it will achieve the Certified Fresh status. Flanagan’s impeccable record of only "fresh" or Certified Fresh titles continues with this release.

The Life of Chuck, an adaptation of the novella from Stephen King's 2020 collection If It Bleeds, features a cast including Tom Hiddleston, known for his role in Loki. The film explores the life of Chuck Krantz in reverse order—from his death to his birth—highlighting both the highs and lows of his existence. Unlike other works by Flanagan and despite its origins from King’s work, The Life of Chuck is not a horror film.

With only 10 reviews so far, the film’s 80% rating may shift as more reviews are published, potentially affecting whether it is deemed "rotten" or "fresh." However, initial feedback is positive, with eight critics awarding it a "fresh" score. Notably, RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico called it "one of the best ensembles of the year," while Dread Central's Josh Korngut described it as a "lovely and heartbreaking rendition," praising Flanagan's ability to adapt King’s work. Collider's Jason Gorber also lauded it as a "deeply heartfelt, glorious thing."

On the other hand, the two less favorable reviews criticized the film, with IGN Movies' A.A. Dowd describing it as "a glorified book on tape from a talented King superfan," and Exclaim!'s Alex Hudson noting it as "saccharine sentimentality and ponderous monologues about the meaning of life."

Mike Flanagan, known for his work over the past decade, has maintained a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, starting with his debut film Absentia in 2011, which received an 88% rating. Despite his lowest score of 67% for the 2016 film Before I Wake, all his Netflix series have earned "fresh" ratings. The Life of Chuck continues this trend as the third Stephen King adaptation following Gerald's Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019).

Although the film has yet to secure a distributor at TIFF, and no theatrical release date is set, the early reactions have been encouraging. Audience scores will be available once the film is released. Source: Rotten Tomatoes