Movie Breakdown: Mr. Harrigan’s Phone

Pre-Screening Stance:

John Lee Hancock has always been a hit or miss director and – wouldn’t you know – Stephen King adaptations have also always been hit or miss. It’s a match made in heaven! Seriously though, I like the look of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone and think it could be good.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone landed somewhat strangely for me. The film’s plot, which is based on a Stephen King short story of the same name, is centered around Craig (Colin O’Brien & Jaeden Martell), a boy/eventual teen who spends a few days a week reading to an aging billionaire named Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland). When the old timer passes away, Craig discovers that he’s somehow still able to communicate with him via the iPhone that he slipped into his coffin.

For the most part, I liked Mr. Harrigan’s Phone – there’s a tone to it that I found kind of comforting – but it’s not something I can excitedly recommend, as there just isn’t a whole lot to the film. The back and forth between Craig and Mr. Harrigan is great, and some of the smaller characters, like Craig’s father (Joe Tippett) and his favorite teacher (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), make for interesting asides, but it all feels very surface level. The film isn’t scary – it’s suspenseful at best – which is a little disappointing considering that it’s King. There’s also something heady that’s trying to be said about the pitfalls of smart phones, which I appreciate, but a fully realized statement never manages to cut through. I assume this is all because the movie is adapted from a short story, so there wasn’t a ton there to begin with, but I’m not sure why writer/director John Lee Hancock tackled this if he didn’t have anything to add to it.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone hits Netflix tomorrow, October 5th. I would temper your expectations.

One Last Thought:

Even at 87 years old, Donald Sutherland still has it. Here’s hoping he keeps working a while longer.