The Life Of Chuck: Mike Flanagan & Tom Hiddleston Get Thumbs-Up From Stephen King & A Fresh 80% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Mike Flanagan continues his winning streak of Stephen King adaptations with The Life of Chuck, earning impressive reviews.

- June 8, 2025 | 3:34 PM IST

Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck Is Receiving Rave Reviews From Critics & Stephen King Himself — What Did Stephen King Say About Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck? (Photo Credit – Wikipedia/X)

Mike Flanagan has emerged as one of the key filmmakers bringing Stephen King’s stories to life on screen. Over the years, King’s name has stood for chilling tales full of trauma and tension, but his work also holds a softer, more heartfelt side.

Some of those stories have turned into unforgettable films, like Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile. Now, The Life of Chuck is joining this group after winning the audience prize at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and hitting theaters recently through Neon.

Stephen King Praises The Life of Chuck

Tom Hiddleston leads in The Life of Chuck, a film that has been warmly received by critics and earned a strong 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Lindsey Bahr of The Associated Press wrote, “This critic felt a bit like the film was trying to trick you into caring about Chuck… And yet it’s a nice message, with nice performances and might be that kind of affirming hug of a film that someone is craving.”

Even King himself praised the movie on X, showing enthusiasm rarely seen for adaptations of his work. “Magical. Marvelous. Masterpiece,” he wrote on the post

“Magical.”
“Marvelous.”
“Masterpiece.”

THE LIFE OF CHUCK. From the hearts and souls of Mike Flanagan and Stephen King. In Select Cities Friday, Everywhere 6.13.

It’s a great movie!
(Posted at Steve King’s request)@lifeofchuckfilm @neonrated pic.twitter.com/kVQC8Ef82S

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 3, 2025

Mike Flanagan’s Past Successes With Stephen King Adaptations

This praise is notable because King has openly criticized some film versions of his books, especially Stanley Kubrick’s take on The Shining. His stories have been adapted many times, starting nearly fifty years ago with Carrie. Mike Flanagan has become a trusted director in this realm, having previously made Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, both of which met with positive reviews. He’s also working on a major adaptation of King’s The Dark Tower.

This year, we have also seen other Stephen King adaptations in addition to The Life of Chuck. The Monkey, directed by Osgood Perkins, earned over $68 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). Francis Lawrence is preparing to release The Long Walk, starring Cooper Hoffman. Additionally, a TV series based on The Institute is set for July, and It: Welcome to Derry will come out later this year, continuing King’s strong presence in movies and television.