Mr. Harrigan's Phone

When I saw the trailer for this film, I was kind of excited since it's based on a story for Stephen King, and the premise was interesting, plus the two main lead actors (Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell) are definitely great.

As the story progress, I kept waiting for the cool parts to start happening, but sadly they hardly ever happened, and all we saw is a big indirect advertising campaign for iphone (not that Apple needs it), but seriously the whole movie is based on the iphone.

Another thing that got me confused is how the movie's genre says "horror" but it has no such thing, it's very misleading, it's more of a drama thriller.

I loved the parts when Craig was reading to Harrigan, and how their relationship got stronger, in spite of the vast difference between them.

I guess the main message the film is trying to convey is the effect of modern technology (in this case the smartphone) on our lives, and how it completely disengage us from the real world, and end up controlling us and feeding us lies. And also to be careful what we wish for.

"When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers". Oscar Wilde.

It was surprisingly simple what they did with this novella adaptation, and Stephen King's at that. The 'King of Horror' penned an anthology titled "If It Bleeds" (published, 2020), and "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" was one of its offerings.

John Lee Hancock did remarkable work on direction and screenplay for this Netflix production. That old Stephen King magic prevailed, and helped ensure a literary flair was present throughout the story and around its characters.

I could see this movie getting buried (pun intended) by fans and sundry if it was any other script than one from the mind of King. The movie had a relaxed pace, and contained nothing truly horrific. The suspense was strong, though. Also, Donald Sutherland's voice and performance held it all together.

Javier Navarrete's musical scoring wonderfully complemented the work of the editing and sound effects teams. John Schwartzman's cinematography was amazing. Production design by Michael Corenblith, set decoration, and art direction did great work as well. Daniel Orlandi's costume design was minimal.

Donald Sutherland stole every scene he was in, and was the most intriguing character in "Mr. Harrigan's Phone". Aside from Stephen King's involvement, the main reason I saw this movie was because they cast the unmatched Sutherland in the role of the titular character. That man has screen presence for days, and is one of my favourite yesteryear stars. Also, his character's mansion was spellbinding in its own right.

Jaeden Martell's take on Craig was a blend of vulnerability and conviction. He did great work in the role. His younger version, played by Colin O'Brien, was good.

Victoria Hart, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, was interesting. Cyrus Arnold as Kenny Yankovich was a right royal &^%$, and hit all the right provocative notes. Craig's dad, played by Joe Tippett, was good. The phone store clerk, played by Alex Bartner, was notable. Edna Grogan, played by Peggy J. Scott, was amazing. Hers was a criminally under-rated performance. All others did good work in "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" streaming now on Netflix.

Simple takes and steady storytelling dictated the flow of this movie. Powerful dialogues and a literary 'show don't tell' style also helped make it memorable. The sustained mystery of whom Craig was communicating with if not the by-then-deceased Mr. Harrigan and how repercussions came to those who justly deserved it made the movie engaging. In classic Stephen King style, the ending of this movie was left open to interpretation.

Such good acting. It is slow, but you become invested in the characters early enough to stay interested. Donald Sutherland did AMAZING. Every time he was on the screen you wanted to watch him. It's been a while since he was so captivating on screen. It is deep and has an underlying message which may irritate people, but I agree with that message so I related to the movie well. Cell phones/Smart phones aren't always the best use of our time, or the healthiest option for our own minds. They have become addictive and overused in our society to the point that people can no longer think objectively. I don't like that the mom was never really explained.

I watched "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" on Netflix last night. It is based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King. It is about a young man (Jaeden Martell) recruited by a billionaire (Donald Sutherland) to read to the old man since the man's eyesight is failing. Of course, since this is a Stephen King novel, there is a mystery involved with a hint of horror. But the main part of the story is the development of respect and friendship between the old man and the young man. It is very well acted by the two leads and is definitely worth a look. Some horror fans were disappointed by the lack of gore, but to me that is not the point of the story. Check it out for yourself and see if you agree. 7/10.

We live in an 'instant age.' We're used to getting what we want immediately. So, anyone giving this film a bad review probably didn't understand the need to focus and apply patience to a story that unfolds gradually. It is impeccably written. All the story setups and essential bases are cleverly covered. It is brilliantly made with authentic characters supported with superb acting. It moves at comfortable pace with no dull moment or drawn-out, unnecessary scene. An all-round excellent film. Give it a chance and be receptive to rare, excellent storytelling. It could be one of the the best films you've seen in a long time.