In a captivating conversation, filmmaker Mike Flanagan, known for his gripping horror adaptations and Netflix series, discusses his latest project, *The Life of Chuck*. He shares how the story, inspired by Stephen King, emerged as a beacon of hope during lockdown. Flanagan explores existential themes, blending horror with humanism, and reflects on how television shaped his storytelling approach. He also recounts the unique experience of casting his son and the trust built with his familiar crew, revealing the emotional depth behind his filmmaking.
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A Story That Turned Lockdown Into Hope
Mike Flanagan found Stephen King's short story during early lockdown and discovered it transformed despair into hope.
He felt the story was a rare, earnest slice of heart worth preserving unmolested for audiences and his children.
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Horror As A Narrative Wrapping
Flanagan says horror is a wrapping, not his sole aim, and his work often explores grief, trauma, and mortality.
He views The Life of Chuck as shedding genre trappings to tell a more intimate, personal story.
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Existential Questions Fuel Storytelling
Flanagan is drawn to existential questions and uses stories to contain unanswerable human concerns about purpose and death.
He identifies the abyss and the unknown as core sources of horror and creative fuel.
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Mike Flanagan knows horror. Any fan of the genre will tell you that he's one of the most exciting directors working today, creating haunting and uniquely terrifying films like "Oculus," "Gerald's Game," and "Doctor Sleep," not to mention his many Netflix series, including "The Haunting of Hill House" and "The Fall of the House of Usher." His latest film, "The Life of Chuck," may therefore seem like a bit of a departure. It doesn't explicitly aim to scare viewers in the ways that they might expect from a Flanagan production. But as the filmmaker himself would explain, it's a logical continuation of the kinds of stories he likes to explore. Namely, it concerns itself with big thematic topics, like the impact of one person on others and the peculiarities of living a finite existence. It's a moving, expansive film that has the capacity to horrify, stun, and affect its audience just as much as anything he's made before, even if it has no broken-neck ghosts or bathtub-dwelling ghouls. Mike Flanagan was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about the details of how the Stephen King story that inspired the film came to him at exactly the right time. He also talks about the differences and similarities of telling stories on TV and film, what it's like to adapt King's work, and how he came to work with his son for the very first time. You can listen to this interview below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to rent and own through NEON and is up for your consideration at this year's Academy Awards in all eligible categories.
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