Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, 2022
This is American horror drama movie is directed and written by Mr. John Lee Hancock. This is based on a novella of the similar name of Stephen King coming from the collection of If It Bleeds. It follows Craig that has a strong link of friendship with John Harrigan, a retired businessman; both get their initial iPhone after the former takes the lottery. Inspite of the latter’s passing the supernatural connection persisted between them by their phones, one from which is buried beside Harrigan.
The Cast Lists
Donald Sutherland performed as John Harrigan
Joe Tippett performed as Craig’s father
Cyrus Arnold performed as Kenny Yankovich
Chelsea Kurtz performed as Craig’s mother
Jaeden Martell performed as Craig
Colin O’Brien performed as young Craig
Peggy J. Scott performed as Edna Grogan
Thalia Torio performed as Regina
Kirby Howell-Baptiste performed as Ms. Hart
Alexa Shae Niziak performed as Margie Marie
Thomas Francis Murphy performed as Pete Bostwick
Story Outline
In year 2003, the young Craig became acquainted with John Harrigan, the retired businessman following the passing of his mom, with instructions to read it to him simply in three times per week. Five years after, the teenager Craig and the elderly Harrigan had been friends.
During this moment, Craig starts his high school and then became close to Miss Hart, the teacher who came to his help when Kenny Yankovich, the school bully, attempted to intimidate him. Right after winning from the lottery ticket which Harrigan gave him the amount of $3,000 and taking his first ever iPhone for Christmas day, Craig bought one for Harrigan. Despite the initial resistance to the latest technology, he enjoyed the phone. Then, the elderly Harrigan died, leaving Craig heartbroken for losing a friend. At the interment, Craig sneaks the phone of Harrigan into the coffin, and being informed later by Harrigan’s colleague that he had left the bequest in the will of Harrigan. Craig will take $800,000 from the trust fund, to brace his future studies then pursuit his writing career that he once told Harrigan about.
Then Craig called the phone of Harrigan as the gesture of thanks. In the following morning, he discovered that Harrigan transmit him a strange text message, although his father chalked it up to be a bug in the iPhone itself. Then life keeps on for Craig that goes to dance his crush, just to be harassed by Kenny, who accused him of being ratting out the drug-dealing activities his doing at the school grounds, and getting him expelled. Then that night, Craig called the phone of Harrigan in the fit of sadness and frustration; he told him what Kenny had done to him and he was “afraid that this will not end, and wishes that you’re here just to speak to me some advice.” In the next day, Kenny was found dead, having evidently fallen from the window of his bedroom while trying to sneak out. Afraid of what had really happened, Craig went to an Apple app store, upgraded the phone to newer model, and places away the old one.
Writer’s Observation
The film starts out to be a good thriller and drama movie then it keeps on for around half of it. You will know the characters, the setting are pretty well, and everything is good. Then in the thriller part, it ramps up a few and it gets even more exciting. Then it turns into the coming of the old age film. Nothing is really wrong with those kinds of movies, but it felt strange here.
Then the movie flips back again to drama/thriller. The entire movie feels like it is trying to shove the message in your face about being really attached your cellular phones. It just hand-over a really bad vibes to it. You will see that the movie is a unique one. It is a tech horror of modern psychological drama. Initially, you will be guided by the very slow-tempo storytelling about Craig with his connection with Mr. Harrigan and that part of the story is really a character development. After that turning point close by the last third part of the lot, the horror then sets in. All in all, the movie is the worthy adaptation of one short story.
