drifter_74

I'm a bit late to the party.

Naomi Scott is truly amazing. She conveys the absolute madness and terror that the main character goes through with utter dedication. If they gave out Academy Awards to horror movies, then Scott would take the Oscar home.

The movie has plenty of gore and jump scares but it does start to become a victim of its own success in the final third of the movie when the craziness is dialed up to 12 and the viewer is just left confused. There is no silver thread to hold onto that allows you to distinguish between what is real and what is not.

The ending is also the weakest part of the movie.

All in all, an excellent horror movie and well worth watching.

There is no doubt that Stephen King is a prolific author who is able to skip between genres with ease and deliver top notch material irrespective of the subject at hand, the Shawshank Redemption and IT attest.

Mr Harrigan's Phone is based on the King short story of the same title and in terms of genre this is more of a Shawshank Redemption than an IT. Don't expect a horror extravaganza.

The movie is a tale of two halves. The first tell the story of Craig, a young boy who lost his mother early in his life and finds a friend in an aged recluse. It is a coming of age tale that is beautifully told and if you give it your full attention you will be rewarded. The second half is less layered and more commentary on the impact of modern technology on our lives and relationships and it is here that the story loses some of its charm. For an ageing Boomer such as myself, I have experienced the impact that the evolution of technology and social media had first hand and can therefore relate. The Gen Z crowd who was born with a mobile phone in their hands will struggle to understand the underlying message.

I think the movie will resonate with the more mature audience and the younger folk may miss the underlying message.