Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022) Film Review

Introduction

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022) is an American relationship drama that circles friendship. This film was written and directed by John Lee Hancock. It is based on Stephen King’s novella of the same name from the collection If It Bleeds.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone stars Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell, Joe Tippett, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste.

The companies involved in the production of Mr. Harrigan’s phone include Blumhouse Television and Ryan Murphy Productions while Netflix distributes it.

This film runs for about an hour and 45 minutes and English is the only language used.

Synopsis

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone tells the story of Craig, a teenager who lives alone with his dad in a small town (Jaeden Martell). Craig and Mr. John Harrigan who is an older, reclusive billionaire (Donald Sutherland), begins to form a bond of friendship over their love of books and reading.

As time passed, Mr. Harrigan who is way older than Craig passes away, and Craig discovers that not everything is dead and gone. He finds himself able to communicate with his friend from the grave through the iPhone in this supernatural coming-of-age story that shows that certain connections are never lost.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022) Film Review

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but films that begin with narration are typically entertaining, and Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is no exception.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is an intriguing film. The ovation-worthy performances of the characters involved are the film’s essence.

Every single character in this film had a vital role in bringing it to life.

In this article, I’ll focus solely on two important characters, Jaeden Martell and Donald Sutherland.

Craig is played by Jaeden Martell. Jaeden is a significant character in this film because he carries it with his delivery and execution of emotion. Despite appearing largely in scenes of anguish, loneliness, and grief, Martell’s portrayal is compelling, transforming an average film into an interesting one.

Jaeden shows a lot of emotions, this is most evident when Craig’s vengeance triggers a wave of regret and a desire to atone for his misdeeds. Martell’s performance is crucial in embellishing the film due to his strained facial expressions and believable pained look.

Jaeden Martell is coming into his own as an actor and is quickly becoming a fixture in the horror genre. I’m happy for him

I noticed the chemistry between Craig and every actor or actress he interacts with. This is excellent since it helps to make the film more realistic and credible.

Donald Sutherland, who plays wealthy John Harrigan, also performs an amazing part (as always). The Path to War(2002) star masterfully embodies an older man’s harsh, gruff demeanor without making it look weird. Rather when it comes to expressing his feelings of friendship for Craig with love and care, he expresses them with financial security and life counsel, much of which Craig would not apply until much later in life.

The connection between Donald and Craig is incredible; you can feel it in their eyes and the way they communicate.

If at all possible, I’d want to see these two in another film. I thought their screen time in this picture was excellent.

Mr. Harrigan’s phone has a strong storytelling element, and the supernatural element is both open to interpretation and compelling enough to keep the audience interested in seeing how it all plays out.

The settings, lighting, and camera work are all excellent. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is shot in Connecticut, USA. Mathews Park, a huge park with an 1868 house located at 295 West Avenue in Norwalk, is also used for filming.

One of the reasons for the film’s outstanding setting.

The cinematography evokes feelings of loneliness and closeness at the same time. The cinematography is so good that I could tell how lonely they are even though they are still together.

This film emphasizes the very real aspects of our life, whether happy or sad. Sometimes bad things happen in life, and relief and healing may come from the most unexpected places and people.

The recent horror film blockbuster The Black Phone explored similar themes but in a considerably more horrifying way.

To be fair, King’s novella also didn’t do a very good job of developing the concept’s scary elements, which is unlike Stephen King. Or John Lee Hancock did not want to explore such themes?

Instead, the movie mostly comes across as a portrayal of an unexpected bond and a tale of a young guy learning the dangers of always being what one wants.

This film has a strong message. The risk of technological addiction is discussed (though it did not dwell much on this). It also discusses the importance of hard work, enthusiasm, and how particular friendships aid in navigating life.

In comparison to past King adaptations and even many genre films of the present, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is stately, compassionate, and empathic. It experiences both happy and depressing times.

Did you know??

Shawshank Redemption is one of John Handcock’s favourite books from Stephen King

When asked by Digital Trends, John said “I like The Body, of course, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile. I love it in Stephen’s work when there’s a kind of unexpected emotion or magical characteristics, which you get in those stories.”

 He continues by saying “And I don’t mean magic like, you know, spells and stuff. I mean something that is inspiring and comes from a character and there’s the emotion behind it. And King is good at conveying that.”

To sum up, I had a great time watching this movie. Undoubtedly, it wasn’t the horror I was expecting, but once I stopped expecting a horror movie and started expecting a drama, I found the movie to be more engaging, and I think you will too.

You can watch Mr. Harrigan’s Phone on Netflix

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