Combustible Celluloid Review - Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022), John Lee Hancock, based on a story by Stephen King, John Lee Hancock, Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell, Joe Tippett, Colin O'Brien, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Frank Ridley, Peggy J. Scott, Thomas Francis Murphy, Randy Kovitz, Cyrus Arnold, Thalia Torio, Conor William Wright, Alexa Shae Niziak, Bennett Saltzman, Daniel Reece, Dale Duko
Combustible Celluloid
 
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With: Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell, Joe Tippett, Colin O'Brien, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Frank Ridley, Peggy J. Scott, Thomas Francis Murphy, Randy Kovitz, Cyrus Arnold, Thalia Torio, Conor William Wright, Alexa Shae Niziak, Bennett Saltzman, Daniel Reece, Dale Duko
Written by: John Lee Hancock, based on a story by Stephen King
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material, some strong language, violent content and brief drug material
Running Time: 106
Date: 10/05/2022
IMDB

Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Blood Cell

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Writer/director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) adapted a Stephen King novella from the 2020 collection If It Bleeds and came up with this rather sweet horror tale. Jaeden Martell (also in the King movies It and It Chapter Two) stars as Craig, who is hired to read to wealthy, grumpy Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland) three times a week. After a few years, they form a strong bond, and when Harrigan gives Craig a winning lottery ticket, he buys the old man an iPhone. After Harrigan dies, Craig finds that he can text vengeful requests to the afterlife and that they will be carried out. It's a pretty simple "be-careful-what-you-wish-for" scenario, handled softly and without many scares, but Martell and Sutherland really sell their deep friendship, and it's easy to forgive Craig for the things he does in grief. Joe Tippett plays Craig's kindhearted father, Kirby Howell-Baptiste plays a beloved teacher, and Cyrus Arnold is memorable, and terrifying, as the gigantic bully Kenny Yankovich.

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