Mr. Harrigan's Phone

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Mr. Harrigan's Phone

PG-13

2022

1h 44m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

46%

Tomatometer

65 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.

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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.

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Audience Says

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

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

I would much rather have read this than watched it.

Oct 14, 2022

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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

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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

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Rebecca Johnson

Film Focus Online

Mr Harrigan's Phone doesn't deliver much excitement or scares, the very thin plot making it evident that it's based on a short story.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 24, 2023

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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

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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

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Kal W

Absolutely terrible. Donald Sutherland is the highlight but little else is worthy of praise - takes over 40 minutes to get to the heart of the story but the heart is more ponderous than the build up. What is this film? thriller? horror? Psychological drama? Whatever it's trying to be it does a poor job of it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/02/24

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Kevin B

The line where the mobile phone is compared to an "entry level drug" makes this a very thought provoking movie. Hannigan is introduced to the mobile phone whilst he tries to instill a love of books and knowledge to his young apprentice. In another scene where the boy reads the book whilst the old man seemingly ignores him whilst using his phone is priceless. Throw away the phone....throw it away!😉 Social commentary at its best...as you "dear reader" are reading this review on the phoniverse of your mobile

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/31/24

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Erin W

I loved this movie, though it wasn't as frightening as I expected. Instead, I was captivated by its beautifully crafted story. The screenplay stood out to me as particularly well-written. Ryan Murphy's direction was impressive, and the acting was phenomenal, truly breathing life into the characters. I'd rate it a perfect five out of five.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/08/24

Full Review

Ramith N

A truly beautiful film. it is so well paced and the cinematography is well thought out and elegantly done. The image of Mr. Harrigan sitting in his chair in that beautifully decorated room is truly captivating while also terrifying at the same time. The music was also perfectly composed reminding me of a Miyazaki film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/26/24

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Nicholas S

May as well watched paint dry for 2 hours.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/09/24

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Diane B

I absolutely LOVED this movie. Brilliantly cast, perfectly paced and illicits some good and some uncomfortable emotions.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/27/24

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John Lee Hancock

Director

Donald Sutherland

Mr. Harrigan

Jaeden Martell

Craig

Joe Tippett

Craig's Dad

Kirby

Actor

Cyrus Arnold

Kenny Yankovich

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Mr. Harrigan's Phone: Trailer 1

2:17

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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: Blumhouse Productions, Ryan Murphy Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 5, 2022
Runtime: 1h 44m

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