'The Life of Chuck' star discusses screening film with director Mike Flanagan, his favorite performances from the Stephen King adaptation and more
"The Life of Chuck" is a 2025 summer movie I've long been anticipating.
Directed by horror icon Mike Flanagan, this movie is adapted from a Stephen King short story about a man, Chuck (Tom Hiddleston), whose death seems to coincide with the end of the universe.Last year, it won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and since then, it's been on my radar as a potential Oscar contender.
But it only just debuted in the U.S. earlier this month, with select theaters premiering it on June 6 and a wide release on June 13. That made it one of seven must-watch movies to come out on June 6, and it also means you might not have yet had a chance to see it.
Lucky for you, I managed to sit down with "The Life of Chuck" star David Dastmalchian. He plays a grieving parent named Josh in the film, and I got to talk to him about the movie — which, for the record, I saw and loved — and why it needs to be the next reason you go to your local cinema.
Now, while "The Life of Chuck" might not be a familiar name to you, Mike Flanagan probably is and Stephen King almost certainly is. And if you know anything about those two, you'd likely go into this movie expecting an eerie horror/thriller.
It was a really special night, and there was not a dry eye in the house."
But that's not what this movie is about. Instead, it's a deeply emotional film, at times uplifting and at times heartbreaking.
So I wasn't entirely shocked to learn that when Flanagan screened the movie for some close friends, including Dastmalchian, it made several members of the cast and crew tear up.
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"I cried twice when I saw the movie for the first time," Dastmalchian recounted. "[It] was at Mike's house. He showed a group of us close friends from the game night, showed us "[The] Life of Chuck," and we also, that same night, watched [writer/director] Bryan Fuller's [upcoming movie] "Dust Bunny." It was a really special night, and there was not a dry eye in the house."
As for what made Dastmalchian tear up? An incredible performance from Matthew Lillard in the first act of the movie. "When Matt Lillard tries to, you know, encapsulate what it is that's going on with him and why things are starting to feel almost pointless in the day-to-day activities of what people are trying to do. It's such a beautiful speech. It's such a beautiful moment. And I just, I don't know, that's one that will always stand out, very special in my mind."
Lillard's performance isn't the only one to watch in "The Life of Chuck" — though it is incredible. In fact, I don't think that there's a single bad performance in the movie, something Dastmalchian was quick to agree with me on.
"Every single performance, from Rahul [Kohli] to Sam [Sloyan], Karen [Gillan], it's just a wealth of incredible, incredible work."
But when I pressed Dastmalchian for a performance that stood out above the rest, he had a clear answer, and one I couldn't argue with, having seen the film myself.
"Chiwetel [Ejiofor], in many ways, carries this film. Dastmalchian declared as I nodded in agreement. "I know that Tom [Hiddleston] is Chuck, and Tom embodies Chuck. And what he does is so wonderful, and it's like a centerpiece of the film. But Chiwetel really carries on his shoulders the weight of what's happening in the world."
The Olivier Award-winning actor was also Dastmalchian's scene partner for the film, and as David was quick to point out, that was an incredible experience in its own right.
"He's the person in these moments of consultation and conversation with characters like mine, like Karen's, like Matt's, and — my god — can I just say what an incredible scene partner that guy is? Like when I got to give that monologue about the internet and Pornhub and all that stuff, as silly as some of that is, it's also very heartbreaking. And getting to make eye contact with such a fine and deep, resonant actor was really cool."
As I already mentioned, "The Life of Chuck" stars Tom Hiddleston as Charles "Chuck" Krantz, whose death seems to coincide with the death of the universe.
The story is told in reverse chronological order, starting with the end of Chuck's life and working its way back to Chuck's childhood as an orphan living with his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara). Alongside Hiddleston, the movie also stars Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak and Cody Flanagan as younger versions of Chuck.
Watch 'The Life of Chuck' in theaters now
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
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