Stephen King contains multitudes. He may be more well known for classic horror stories like Carrie and The Shining, but he’s also responsible for equally successful emotional dramas like The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me. Whatever the genre or tone, his works almost always beg an adaptation to the big screen. That’s where Director Mike Flanagan comes in. Best known for Doctor Sleep (2019), Flanagan has an affinity for adapting King’s work. This year he brings us the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) audience award winner, The Life of Chuck, out in theaters this weekend. The genre-bending film is part science fiction, part coming of age musical, with plenty of surprises built in as it contemplates life, death, and the vast cosmos. Can Flanagan balance King’s different narrative flavors in this ambitious film? On this episode of The Long Take Review, we debate this very question, identifying the highlights of the film on the one hand and scratching our heads trying to figure out how it all hangs together on the other. It was a rich conversation in which we worked hard to figure this one out. Thanks, Chuck!

We go into SPOILER MODE around the 20:00 minute mark. If you are not ready to dance with spoilers, you can listen safely until then.

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