The Latest from Mike Flanagan and Stephen King Garners Rave Reviews
One of my most hotly-anticipated releases of the year is Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s gut-wrenching novella The Life of Chuck. While we’ve previously shared everything we knew about the film while it was in production, The Life of Chuck has finally had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. If you’re a Stephen King reader or a Flana-stan like I am, you’ll be thrilled to hear the critical reaction has been nothing less than glowing.
Synopsis: A life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.
In our review out of this year’s TIFF, Josh Korngut awarded Flanagan’s adaptation four out of five stars, writing, “Perhaps easiest described as ‘Our Town’ by way of string theory, Mike Flanagan continues to showcase why he’s uniquely capable of staging Stephen King at his most unadaptable with this heartbreaking rendition of The Life of Chuck.” No doubt, The Life of Chuck is going to make me sob.
The film is a stark departure for filmmaker Mike Flanagan, whose previous Stephen King adaptations, including Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game, were firm horror. Conversely, The Life of Chuck will see Flanagan shift into more dramatic territory. It’s familiar territory for King aficionados, a writer whose best films (see Stand by Me and Dolores Claiborne) aren’t adapted from the horror novels he is more popularly known for.
The Life of Chuck is poised to join those stellar ranks of Stephen King adaptations. As of this writing, the film is sitting at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 critic reviews. It has been one of this year’s most acclaimed TIFF premieres. Critics online have been thrilled with the film, and they’ve taken to Twitter to share their reactions. Check out some choice reactions below:
All around, it looks as if The Life of Chuck is another win for both Mike Flanagan and Stephen King. While there is no word yet on a release, you can bet I’ll be there opening night, tissues in hand.
What do you think? Are you even more excited for The Life of Chuck after hearing how positively the film has been received? Additionally, which of Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptations is your favorite? I’ll never get over Doctor Sleep. Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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