Mr. Harrigan's Phone

Play trailer

2:17

Mr. Harrigan's Phone

PG-13

2022

1h 44m

Horror

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

47%

Tomatometer

64 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

When Craig, a young boy living in a small town (Jaeden Martell) befriends Mr. Harrigan, an older, reclusive billionaire (Donald Sutherland), the two begin to form an unlikely bond over their love of books and reading. But when Mr. Harrigan sadly passes away, Craig discovers that not everything is dead and gone and strangely finds himself able to communicate with his friend from the grave through the iPhone in this supernatural coming-of-age story that shows that certain connections are never lost.

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Despite a pair of layered performances from its talented leads, Mr. Harrigan's Phone never quite connects with the source material's intriguing themes.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Says

Slow and rarely scary, Mr. Harrigan's Phone will leave you checking your own.

Read Audience Reviews

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

I would much rather have read this than watched it.

Oct 14, 2022

Full Review

Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

Hancock and his cast effectively convey the essence of King’s story, which is about a well-meaning kid learning how anything that comes too easy likely has dark strings attached.

Oct 7, 2022

Full Review

Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Some may not go with this veering plot, but those who love Stephen King will enjoy the leap into speculative fiction. It’s what made him famous -- that ability to see how a little dark fantasy can illuminate the world.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 6, 2022

Full Review

Jenn Adams

Bloody Disgusting

The movie is extremely faithful to the novella for better or worse, but director John Lee Hancock makes several minor changes that deepen the themes and create a perfect horror movie for the Autumn season.

Rated: C+

Feb 18, 2023

Full Review

Dan Buffa

Dose of Buffa

While Hancock’s script has a lot on his mind and the ideas become frayed with the second and third act unfolding sporadically, there’s something hauntingly restrained about this horror/thriller hybrid.

Rated: B-

Feb 8, 2023

Full Review

Aaron Phillips

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

...Mr Harrigan’s Phone is an ok watch this October if you’re stuck for ideas. It does deliver some good chilling moments and while the film shows potential overall, by the end you’ll find yourself realizing the concept was heavily underutilized.

Rated: 6.5/10

Jan 4, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Hannah C

The most terrible movie I’ve ever watched do not watch it. It’s so so terrible.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/12/25

Full Review

prawnda s

any integrity remaining in any project ryan murphy has touched is only there as an oversight.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/05/25

Full Review

Paul C

Many critics dismissed Mr. Harrigan’s Phone because it has no monsters, no gore, no jump-scares. That’s exactly why it deserves five stars. Horror is not about claws or fangs, it is about dread, temptation, and the uncanny slipping into everyday life. This film captures that perfectly. At its heart, it is a chilling fable about the danger of “if wishes came true.” Craig discovers that with a single call, death arrives. The true horror is not a ghost in the shadows, but the seductive danger of power, justice on demand, at a terrible cost. The phone becomes a modern “needful thing,” a trap disguised as a gift. The film itself is beautifully restrained. Its pacing is deliberate, its atmosphere quiet but tense. Performances from Jaeden Martell and Donald Sutherland carry the story with subtlety, showing grief, mentorship, and temptation with remarkable depth. The lack of spectacle is a strength; it keeps the focus on character and morality rather than cheap thrills. What makes the story powerful is Craig’s choice to walk away. He rejects the cursed phone before it owns him. That is survival, not triumph. It lingers because it is real horror: quiet, unsettling, and moral. For me, this stands alongside Eyes of the Dragon as one of King’s most thoughtful tales. If you want a scare, here you go: Boo!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/30/25

Full Review

Steve F

Really good film based on Stephen King’s story. For once the don’t try to ‘improve’ the original story by changing and adding to it, it’s virtually the same as the book. Which is a good thing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

Full Review

Official rain clan Chanel X

Started off slow then it got interesting but then the plot became predictable and weird and the ending was awful don’t particularly recommend this film

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/01/25

Full Review

Sergio A

It starts off promisingly and, halfway through, offers belated flashes of tenderness; however, the ending loses its course, wandering in its rushed attempt to become a horror piece

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

John Lee Hancock

Director

Donald Sutherland

Mr. Harrigan

Jaeden Martell

Craig

Joe Tippett

Craig's Dad

Kirby

Actor

Cyrus Arnold

Kenny Yankovich

Bagman

%

35%

Bagman

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Bagman

The Quiet Ones

38%

25%

The Quiet Ones

Watchlist

Imaginary

25%

52%

Imaginary

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Imaginary

The Apparition

3%

24%

The Apparition

Watchlist

The Darkness

3%

19%

The Darkness

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Darkness

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

20 Horror Films to Look Forward to This Fall

Mr. Harrigan's Phone: Trailer 1

2:17

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

When Craig, a young boy living in a small town (Jaeden Martell) befriends Mr. Harrigan, an older, reclusive billionaire (Donald Sutherland), the two begin to form an unlikely bond over their love of books and reading. But when Mr. Harrigan sadly passes away, Craig discovers that not everything is dead and gone and strangely finds himself able to communicate with his friend from the grave through the iPhone in this supernatural coming-of-age story that shows that certain connections are never lost.

Director: John Lee Hancock
Producer: Jason Blum, Ryan Murphy, Carla Hacken
Screenwriter: John Lee Hancock
Production Co: Ryan Murphy Productions, Blumhouse Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 5, 2022
Runtime: 1h 44m

Most Popular at Home Now