Mr. Harrigan's Phone - A Netflix Movie Review

Please tell me I am not getting a call from the dead.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is a 2022 Netflix film. From a young age, Craig befriends an elderly man named Mr. Harrigan. Sadly Mr. Harrigan passes away. Putting his phone with him in the coffin, Craig is shocked to get a message in return one night.

Anything that Stephen King writes, I am totally in for it. I have noticed the debate over whether Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is meant to be a horror film or a slow-moving drama. This film has a reflective message about our society. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is a great drama but the supporting characters are not used to the best of their abilities.

Jaeden Martel has proved that he’s a good actor with every role that he’s been in since IT. He tends to play the same character, but Martel always has a different approach. Shy and reclusive, Craig finds a connection with Mr. Harrigan. Martel was excellent in his driven performance. Although it’s hard, Craig learns to come to terms with acceptance.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Donald Sutherland on the screen. The friendship that develops between Craig and Mr. Harrigan is very sweet. I liked moments when they were telling each other stories or instructing on how to use a cell phone.

Their friendship is a wonderful example, bearing the relationship between two generations. You never know who you may befriend.

Writers didn’t give side characters enough motivation. Acting is great on everyone’s part. Characters could have been played up more, like Craig’s friends, his dad, or even his teacher.

Craig’s teacher (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) plays a substantial part in the story. Due to what happens, audiences are asked to feel a certain way, but side characters are not given the depth they deserve.

All except Craig’s dad (Joe Tippet). The distant relationship between Craig and his dad is relatable to anyone who has lost a parent. I liked their scenes, but the relationship should have been developed more. It becomes repetitive the more Craig avoids conversation with him.

Craig’s friends deserved better roles than what they got. I’m not sure why these characters exist. They don’t have any personality and hardly react to anything. At one point, Craig abandons them once he gets an iPhone. Later on, they’re still seen hanging out like nothing ever happened.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is not horror based. It’s more of a psychological drama. It is terrifying getting a call from somebody who has died. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is meant as a coming-of-age drama. That’s what I liked about it. Though I do wonder what the film would have been like it if took a horror angle.

John Lee Hancock did an impressive job with the cinematography and the design of Mr. Harrigan’s house. It's the story and side characters that merited more fleshing out. I don’t get why reviews have remarked that there is nothing in the story when there’s a lot hidden in the depths. You can compose theories from it.

One factor that got on my nerves, and I am sure a lot of viewers can agree on, is the overuse of phones. We have all become obsessed with our phones to the point that they’ve become our whole lives. I use movies as an escape to have a break from my phone, but with all the exhausting phone use in this, I felt like I was on my phone the whole time.

Avoid the reviews and go watch Mr. Harrigan’s Phone on Netflix. It’s slow but it keeps you on your toes.