With The Life of Chuck, Mike Flanagan explores one of Stephen King’s most optimistic works. The world feels like it’s ending, and everybody’s saying goodbye to Chuck. Wherever Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) goes, he can’t get away from Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston). His face shows up on billboards, window signs, and even TV commercials. What’s so special about this seemingly ordinary accountant? Fans of Flanagan’s skillful storytelling in The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and Doctor Sleep will easily see why he gravitated towards the unorthodox structure of this King novella that manages a rare feat: finding warmth in melancholy.