Sign of the end of times: Tom Hiddleston in ‘The Life of Chuck’.

THE LIFE OF CHUCK ***1/2 (111 minutes) M
Spawned from the non-horror canon of Stephen King comes The Life of Chuck,  
a highly unusual, highly entertaining tale with touches of spirituality and magic realism. 

Told in three parts, this delightfully odd opus, written and directed by Mike Flanagan (Gerald’s Game & Doctor Sleep, two other King adaptations), recounts in reverse order the arc of Chuck Krantz (played as an adult by Tom Hiddleston).

A straight-laced accountant who loves to dance, we first encounter Chuck as a beaming presence on ubiquitous street signage celebrating his impending retirement, an event that coincides with the collapse of the internet and the fall of civilization.

Full of surprises and with a sense of wonder taking the place horror usually occupies in a King-born tale, we trek back to Chuck’s early life where trauma saw him move in with his grandparents (nicely played by Mark Hamill and Mia Sara), where his love of dance sprouted.

Magical rather than macabre, it’s a non-formula film out of left field that offers mystery and a dash of awe to those hungry for something outside genre, the place King’s stories usually dwell.