The Life of Chuck earn rave reviews after debuting at TIFF.

Among the more minor characters are Gus, a blue-collar average joe who quietly shifts the entire trajectory of the movie. Played by Lillard, Gus has been cited as one of the most effective elements of an already pretty emotional film. During an interview with ScreenRant ahead of the release of The Life of Chuck, Matthew Lillard discussed his first reactions to the script, his excitement at getting to work with Mike Flanagan on a Stephen King adaptation, and what fans of Five Nights at Freddy's 2 can expect from the sequel.

Matthew Lillard's First Reaction To ing The Life Of Chuck

"I Couldn't Be Happier"

The Life of Chuck is the kind of film that will make audiences cry, laugh, swoon, and everything in between. That power was inherent from the script alone, with Lillard recounting the surprise he felt while reading the screenplay for the first time. "I ate it up," Lillard explained. "I'm a big Stephen King fan. He's the first author I ever read for the pleasure of reading. When you're a little kid, somebody tells you what to read. Cujo was the first book I ever read as a point of joy. So I was really excited to dig in [to The Life of Chuck]."

Beyond his love for Stephen King as an author, Lillard was particularly excited for the chance to work with Mike Flanagan, who has quickly amassed an amazing reputation in Hollywood following the success of his shows like Midnight Mass and films like Doctor Sleep. "I knew that Mike wanted me to do the part... so when I was reading it, I was seeing [myself and projecting myself] into this tapestry of the film."

For me, it was really about working with Mike Flanagan.

"The reality was that my first impression was that the part [of Gus] is small, and frankly, I didn't know what I would bring to it. My question to Mike when I talked to him about it was 'Why me?' For me, it was really about working with Mike. It was an opportunity for me to jump in — we had talked about working together, and this way was my opportunity to start that relationship. I couldn't be happier."

Matthew Lillard Had Been Waiting To Work With Mike Flanagan

"This Film Found A Way To Touch People In A Way That You Didn't Really Understand Going In"

Mike Flanagan helming The Life of Chuck is quietly something of a departure for the filmmaker. While his work has always been deeply rooted in questions about life, love, and death, most of his work has clearly fallen into the horror genre. While The Life of Chuck has some supernatural elements, the film is much more focused on the experience of life. That softer edge was something Lillard loved about the film, which he compared to Stephen King dramas like Stand By Me or The Shawshank Redemption. "These beautiful films touch people and are generational. You can show them to kids today, and they're still very effective."

Recalling how he watched the completed film for the first time some time ago with some of his co-stars at Flanagan's home, Lillard noted that it had been a "really magical experience" to watch the movie without any of the expectations or hype of a major release. "Taking it in with everyone was a really lovely experience. Then, to watch it in a crowd of 2,000 people in Toronto, where you could hear a pin drop at the end of the film, that was when it became clear that this film found a way to touch people in a way that you didn't really understand going in."

"I think if you make a movie trying to touch people, then it becomes manipulative. I think one of the great things here is that's not what's happening. I think Mike just told this really beautiful story. Stephen King wrote this really life-affirming story, and the two of them together don't really lean into [the emotion]. They just let the words do the work, they let the storytelling do the work. It is a lovely little gem of a film, and we hope people find it."

What Matthew Lillard Loves About Gus

"I Feel Super Proud Of This Movie"

Lillard plays Gus in The Life of Chuck, a minor but important role in the film as a construction worker who becomes entangled in the metaphysical life of Chuck. "I think the beautiful thing about Chuck is that he's an Everyman," Lillard explained. "He's a blue-collar worker, but he's caught in the end of days. He's got this really pragmatic and beautiful approach to what's happening around him. He's got this really earnest way of gazing into the end of the world, and I think it resonates."

"David Dastmalchian, in the beginning of the movie, has this really funny beat. We were all sitting in the audience in Toronto, marveling at the fact the whole audience was laughing. I was like, 'oh, shit, this isn't a comedy!' I do think the Gus beat comes along and has this really great way of grounding the film. It lands you in it. I don't know if that's the intention of the character going in, whatever happened on that day, in that moment, we got this really lovely little beat from the character that ends up setting the tone for the rest of the film."

I wanted to hit my mark and say my lines, and hold up my end of the bargain of being a part of this incredible cast.

Dastmalchian has been a champion of the film, even telling Gizmodo that Matthew Lillard's performance in The Life of Chuck "breaks my heart." Lillard was touched by that compliment from his co-star, and noted that "You just want to do good work. Going into this movie, I wanted to do good work for Mike. I wanted to hit my mark and say my lines, and hold up my end of the bargain of being a part of this incredible cast. I didn't want to be the one that everyone goes, 'Yeah, everyone's great, except for Matthew.' [Laughter]."

"I feel super proud of this movie. I'm really excited to be in Mike Flanagan's world." Lillard then mentioned his collaboration with Flanagan, a new Prime Video adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie. "I'm going to do Carrie with him in a few months. I'm so excited — it's going to be great, it's an incredible piece. The reality is, you want to be a part of films that move people. You want to be a part of films that have value.

"It's great to be in a scene that's fun and silly. But every now and then, you catch a little beautiful film to be a part of and that you're proud of." On top of showing the director and his co-stars with compliments, Lillard was also deeply thankful to Neon. Working with the company on The Life of Chuck was "another badge of pride, because you're with one of the best distributors. They work with incredible pieces of cinema."

What Fans Should Be Most Excited For With Five Nights At Freddy's 2

"It's A Really Epic Ride For Fans Of Five Nights At Freddy's"

The Life of Chuck isn't the only Matthew Lillard film set for 2025. The actor is also set to reprise his role as William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, despite his villainous character meeting an inglorious end at the conclusion of the film. Given the success of the first film at the box office, expectations are high for fans of the franchise. Luckily, Lillard has every confidence in the project.

Five Nights At Freddy's 2 is set to debut in theaters on December 5, 2025.

Reflecting on what he's most excited for the fans of the franchise to see in the film, Lillard explained that "I think the fans had a lot of thoughts and notes around the first movie. I think [Five Nights at Freddy's 2 director Emma Tammi and screenwriter Scott Cawthon] did a good job of listening and giving those fans what they want. I think there's more action. I think it's a little scarier. I think it's going to be incredible, it's a really epic ride for fans of Five Nights at Freddy's. I'm excited for them all to see it."

What Matthew Lillard Hopes Fans Find With The Life Of Chuck

"You Just Have To Take The Leap Of Faith And Take The Adventure With It"

The Life of Chuck has already been earning raves from critics. The life-affirming film already has a solid 86% Tomatometer Score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting the feel-good film could have some real longevity at the box office. Looking ahead to the theatrical release of the film, Lillard expressed hope that "people have the courage to step into the darkness of the movie theater and watch the film. I mean, that's the reality. [The challenge] is getting people out of their homes and into the world and actually seeing cinema.

"My hope is that people experience this movie with other people. You're not going to see any explosions in the trailer, you're not going to see a fight sequence with machine guns. It's a different ask of our audience, and it's a harder sell. The reality is that it's worth taking the journey. You look at the poster and have no idea what it means. At the end of the day, this movie is super clear as to what tit wants to be. You just have to take the leap of faith and take the adventure with it."

Check out our other The Life of Chuck interviews here:

• Mike Flanagan at TIFF
• Annalise Basso at TIFF